Association of Methadone Treatment With Substance-Related Hospital Admissions Among a Population in Canada With a History of Criminal Convictions.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

People with criminal histories experience high rates of opioid dependence and are frequent users of acute health care services. It is unclear whether methadone adherence prevents hospitalizations.

Objective

To compare hospital admissions during medicated and nonmedicated methadone periods.

Design, setting, and participants

A retrospective cohort study involving linked population-level administrative data among individuals in British Columbia, Canada, with provincial justice contacts (n= 250 884) and who filled a methadone prescription between April 1, 2001, and March 31, 2015. Participants were followed from the date of first dispensed methadone prescription until censoring (date of death, or March 31, 2015). Data analysis was conducted from May 1 to August

SUBMITTER: Russolillo A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6484638 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature