Aleksi Hamina

• Hamina, Aleksi; Muller, Ashley Elizabeth; Clausen, Thomas; Skurtveit, Svetlana Ondrasova; Hesse, Morten & Tjagvad, Christian [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2022). Prescription opioids among older adults: ten years of data across five countries. BMC Geriatrics. ISSN 1471-2318. 22(429). doi: 10.1186/s12877-022-03125-0. Full text in Research Archive
• Hamina, Aleksi; Hjellvik, Vidar; Handal, Marte; Odsbu, Ingvild; Clausen, Thomas & Skurtveit, Svetlana Ondrasova (2022). Describing long-term opioid use utilizing Nordic Prescription Registers - A Norwegian example. Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology. ISSN 1742-7835. 130(4), p. 481–491. doi: 10.1111/bcpt.13706. Full text in Research Archive
• Hamina, Aleksi; Handal, Marte; Fredheim, Olav; Clausen, Thomas; Chen, Li-Chia & Skurtveit, Svetlana Ondrasova (2021). Filled prescriptions for opioids among children and adolescents – A nationwide study from 2010 to 2018. Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica. ISSN 0001-5172. 65(10), p. 1475–1483. doi: 10.1111/aas.13968. Full text in Research Archive
• Odsbu, Ingvild; Handal, Marte; Hjellvik, Vidar; Borchgrevink, Petter Chr.; Clausen, Thomas & Hamina, Aleksi [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2021). Use of other addictive drugs among opioid users with chronic pain. Norsk Epidemiologi. ISSN 0803-2491. 29(1-2), p. 45–53. doi: 10.5324/nje.v29i1-2.4045. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: Approximately 30% of the adult Norwegian population reports experiencing chronic pain, i.e. pain persisting more than three months. Opioids are indicated to treat moderate-to-severe pain. Since 2008, opioids can be reimbursed when prescribed for the treatment of chronic pain in Norway. Opioids have addictive potential and should, according to international and Norwegian recommendations, not be used concomitantly with other addictive drugs such as benzodiazepines (anxiolytics and sedatives) or benzodiazepine-related drugs (z-hypnotics). Aim of study: The aim of the study was to investigate opioid use within the reimbursement scheme in the period 2009-2019 and to calculate the prevalence of use of benzodiazepines and z-hypnotics among prevalent users receiving opioids on reimbursable prescriptions in 2019. Methods: The data were retrieved from the Norwegian Prescription Database. The study population consisted of individuals aged 18 years or older with at least one dispensation of an opioid reimbursed for chronic pain in the period 2009-2019. A prevalent user receiving opioids on reimbursable prescriptions in 2019 was defined as an individual filling at least one reimbursed opioid prescription in both 2018 and 2019. Use of other addictive drugs was defined as being dispensed at least one benzodiazepine and/or z-hypnotic in 2019 among prevalent opioid users. Results: Our results show an increase in the number of individuals receiving opioids on reimbursable prescriptions for the treatment of chronic pain in the period from 2009 to 2019. In 2019, there were 18,443 users of opioids on reimbursable prescriptions (67% women). Of these, 14,202 (77%) were prevalent opioid users.Among the prevalent opioid users, 90% of the women and 84% of the men received opioids corresponding to use of up to 100 mg oral morphine equivalents (OMEQ) per day, while a small proportion (1.5% of the women, 2.9% of the men) received more than the recommended maximum dosage of 300 mg OMEQ per day. In total, 54% of the opioid users were dispensed at least one other addictive drug in 2019. Z-hypnotics were most frequently dispensed to opioid users using 100 mg OMEQ or less per day, whereas benzodiazepines alone or in combination with z-hypnotics were more frequently dispensed to opioid users using more than 100 mg OMEQ per day. The total amount of dispensed benzodiazepines and/or z-hypnotics increased with an increasing number of OMEQs used per day. Women received other addictive drugs more frequently than men. In total, 24% of all the opioid users were first prescribed an opioid under the reimbursement scheme. Interpretation of results: Our study shows that more than half of the individuals receiving opioids on reimbursable prescriptions for the treatment of chronic pain also received other addictive drugs the same year albeit recommendations discourage the use of more than one addictive drug at a time. Also, one-fourth of the individuals received opioids as the first drug under the reimbursement scheme although non-opioid analgesics should preferably be prescribed first. There is a need for observational studies using linked data from national health- and population registers to gain more knowledge about the risk factors for and consequences of use of other addictive drugs among opioid users.

• Pharm, Shin J.Liau B; Lalic, Samanta; Sluggett, Janet K.; Cesari, Matteo; Onder, Graziano & Hamina, Aleksi [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2021). Medication Management in Frail Older People: Consensus Principles for Clinical Practice, Research, and Education. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. ISSN 1525-8610. 22(1). doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2020.05.004.
• Hamina, Aleksi; Tanskanen,, Antti; Tiihonen, Jari & Taipale, Heidi (2020). Medication Use and Health Care Utilization After a Cost-sharing Increase in Schizophrenia: A Nationwide Analysis . Medical Care. ISSN 0025-7079. doi: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000001369. Full text in Research Archive

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