Presented at the 2012 AAPM Annual Meeting « Back

Trends in Nonmedical Use of Nucynta by College Students

Richard Dart, MD, richard.dart@rmpdc.org¹, Edgar H. Adams, ScD², Becki Bucher-Bartelson, PhD¹, Gary M. Baker, PharmD³, Janet K Pitner, PharmD MBA BCPS CGP⁴, Gary Vorsanger, MD PhD⁵, (1) Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center, Denver, Colorado, (2) Covance, Princeton, New Jersey, (3) Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC, Reading, Massachusetts, (4) Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC, Charleston, South Carolina, (5) Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC, Raritan, New Jersey

Introduction/Statement of the Problem: Prescription opioid analgesics play an important role in the management of moderate to severe pain. An unintended consequence of these agents is nonmedical use. In 2008, the prevalence of nonmedical use of pain relievers among persons aged 12 or older was second only to marijuana in the U.S.1 We describe the rates and methods of nonmedical use of tapentadol immediate release [Nucynta®, CII] among college students following FDA approval in 2009. Materials and Methods: The RADARS® System2 College Survey Program is an online questionnaire collecting data from approximately 2000 self-identified college-aged students throughout the United States administered during the spring, summer, and fall terms. Responses were analyzed for trends in the rate and method of nonmedical use of tapentadol compared with other opioid analgesics from June 2009 through March 2011. Results: Nonmedical use of tapentadol was highest in 4Q2009 (0.66 per 1,000 people who filled a prescription) and significantly decreased in the four subsequent survey periods (p≤0.001). Similarly, nonmedical use per 100,000 population rate was highest in 4Q2009 (0.013 per 100,000 population) and decreased, although not significantly to 0.004 in 1Q2011 (p = 0.22). The primary method of nonmedical use of tapentadol among college students is oral/transmucosal (78%) followed by inhalation and injection. Conclusion: Since launch, rates of nonmedical use of Nucynta by college students were low and are decreasing over time. The initial levels of reported nonmedical use may represent a brief period of experimentation after introduction. References: 1)Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2010). Results from the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Volume I. Summary of National Findings. http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/NSDUH/2k9NSDUH/2k9ResultsP.pdf 2)RADARS System. http://radars.org/

Funding: N/A