Degenhardt Louisa, Black Emma, Breen Courtney, Bruno Raimondo, Kinner Stuart, Roxburgh Amanda, Fry Craig, Jenkinson Rebecca, Ward Jeff, Fetherston James, Weekley Josephine, Fischer Jane
National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of NSW, New South Wales.
Drug Alcohol Rev. 2006 Sep;25(5):403-12. doi: 10.1080/09595230600868504.
This paper examines population trends in morphine prescriptions in Australia, and contrasts them with findings from annual surveys with regular injecting drug users (IDU). Data on morphine prescriptions from 1995 to 2003 were obtained from the Drug Monitoring System (DRUMS) run by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. Data collected from regular IDU as part of the Australian Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) were analysed (2001 - 2004). The rate of morphine prescription per person aged 15 - 54 years increased by 89% across Australia between 1995 and 2003 (from 46.3 to 85.9 mg per person). Almost half (46%) of IDU surveyed in 2004 reported illicit morphine use, with the highest rates in jurisdictions where heroin was less available. Recent morphine injectors were significantly more likely to be male, unemployed, out of treatment and homeless in comparison to IDU who had not injected morphine. They were also more likely to have injected other pharmaceutical drugs and to report injection related problems. Among those who had injected morphine recently, the most commonly reported injecting harms were morphine dependence (38%), difficulty finding veins into which to inject (36%) and scarring or bruising (27%). Morphine use and injection is a common practice among regular IDU in Australia. In some cases, morphine may be a substitute for illicit heroin; in others, it may be being used to treat heroin dependence where other pharmacotherapies, such as methadone and buprenorphine, are perceived as being unavailable or undesirable by IDU. Morphine injection appears to be associated with polydrug use, and with it, a range of problems related to drug injection. Further research is required to monitor and reduce morphine diversion and related harms by such polydrug injectors.
本文研究了澳大利亚吗啡处方的人口趋势，并将其与对定期注射吸毒者（IDU）的年度调查结果进行对比。1995年至2003年的吗啡处方数据来自澳大利亚卫生与老龄部运行的药物监测系统（DRUMS）。对作为澳大利亚非法药物报告系统（IDRS）一部分从定期IDU收集的数据进行了分析（2001年至2004年）。1995年至2003年期间，澳大利亚15至54岁人群的吗啡处方率增长了89%（从每人46.3毫克增至85.9毫克）。2004年接受调查的IDU中，近一半（46%）报告使用过非法吗啡，在海洛因供应较少的司法管辖区使用率最高。与未注射吗啡的IDU相比，近期注射吗啡的人更有可能是男性、失业、未接受治疗且无家可归。他们也更有可能注射过其他药品并报告与注射相关的问题。在近期注射过吗啡的人中，最常报告的注射危害是吗啡依赖（38%）、难以找到注射静脉（36%）以及疤痕或瘀伤（27%）。在澳大利亚，吗啡的使用和注射在定期IDU中很常见。在某些情况下，吗啡可能是非法海洛因的替代品；在其他情况下，IDU认为美沙酮和丁丙诺啡等其他药物疗法不可用或不理想时，可能会用吗啡来治疗海洛因依赖。吗啡注射似乎与多药使用有关，随之而来的是一系列与药物注射相关的问题。需要进一步研究以监测并减少此类多药注射者的吗啡转移及相关危害。
