Isabelle Demaret

Efficacy of Heroin-Assisted Treatment in Belgium: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Background/Aims: Heroin-assisted treatment (HAT) can improve the condition of heroin addicts still using street heroin after a methadone treatment. In Belgium, a new trial compared the efficacy of a HAT to existing methadone maintenance treatment. Methods: In this randomised controlled trial, HAT was limited to 12 months. Participants were assessed every 3 months. They were responders if they showed improvement on the level of street heroin use, health or criminal involvement. Results: 74 participants were randomised in the trial. The experimental group (n = 36) counted 30% of responders more than the control group (n = 38) at each assessment point (p < 0.05), except at 12 months where the difference (11%) was no longer significant (p = 0.35). Still, after 12 months, participants in the experimental group reported significantly greater improvements (p < 0.05) than the control group on the level of street heroin use and on the level of physical and mental health. Both groups reported significantly less criminal acts after 12 months (p < 0.001), but with no significant difference between the groups. Conclusions: This trial confirms the short-term efficacy of HAT for severe heroin addicts, who already failed methadone treatment.

PLASMA LEVEL MONITORING OF THE MAJOR METABOLITES OF DIACETYLMORPHINE (HEROIN) BY THE "CHASING THE DRAGON" ROUTE IN SEVERE HEROIN ADDICTS

Abstract The objective of the present study was to verify if severe physical health problems frequently encountered in heroin addicts and the concomitant use of alcohol and legal or illegal drugs other than heroin influenced the pharmacokinetics of the major metabolites of heroin. We conducted a 90 minutes follow-up of the plasma concentrations of the pharmaceutical heroin, named diacetylmorphine (DAM), in patients recruited in a DAM assisted treatment centre. TADAM (Traitement Assisté par DiAcétylMorphine) aimed to compare the efficacy of heroin-assisted treatment (HAT) compared with methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) for heroin users considered as treatment resistant patients and who have severe physical and mental health problems. Eleven patients were recruited. Blood samples were collected at baseline and 15, 45 and 90 minutes after DAM administration. All patients received DAM by the “chasing the dragon” route. Plasma samples were analyzed by a previously described ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC/MS-MS) method. A principal component analysis (PCA) was performed and 8 metabolite concentrations ratios were calculated to evaluate the influence of various factors (DAM dose, patient pathologies, concomitant use of medications, methadone, street heroin, alcohol and cocaine) on heroin metabolite pharmacokinetics. It seemed to be not affected by the DAM dose, patient pathologies and the concomitant use of medications, methadone, street heroin and alcohol. Cocaine use was the only parameter which showed differences in heroin pharmacokinetics.

Staff concerns in heroin-assisted treatment centres

Heroin-assisted treatment (HAT) is a solution for improving the condition of treatment-resistant heroin addicts. Since 1994, six randomized controlled trials have concluded that HAT is more efficacious than oral methadone for severe heroin addicts. We visited seven HAT treatment centres in four countries in order to observe diacetylmorphine (DAM) administration and to study the main concerns of the staff. Nurses were concerned by the risk taken if a previously intoxicated patient received his dose of DAM. Another concern was the smuggling of DAM doses. The HAT centres face a dilemma: treating patients while at the same time allowing their risky street habits in the centre.

Loss of treatment benefit when heroin-assisted treatment is stopped after 12 months.

PURPOSE In 2013, during a recent heroin-assisted treatment trial, participants in heroin-assisted treatment (HAT) decreased significantly more their street heroin use than participants in oral methadone treatment. After the trial, HAT was discontinued. To examine whether the treatment benefits were sustained three months after the trial, the use of street heroin by the participants was analyzed in a follow-up study. RESULTS At the follow-up assessment, street heroin use increased in the experimental group. The two groups no longer showed a significant difference (p=0.55) in the level of street heroin use. CONCLUSION A predetermined and forced end of HAT was followed by a significant increase in the level of street level use.