Prescribing practices in opioid agonist treatment and changes in compliance to clinical dosing guidelines in British Columbia, Canada

Background and aimIn British Columbia, Canada, clinical guidelines for the treatment of opioid use disorders (OUD) were updated in 2017, during a period in which the potency and composition of the illicit drug supply changed rapidly. We aimed to describe changes in opioid agonist treatment (OAT) prescribing practices at the population level in a setting in which fentanyl and its analogs have become the primary illicit opioid of use.Design, setting and participantsThis was a population-based retrospective cohort study using three linked health administrative databases in British Columbia (BC), Canada. All individuals with at least one OAT dispensation in BC between 1 January 2014 and 31 August 2021 took part.MeasurementsTo assess changes in OAT prescribing practices over time, we calculated initiation doses, dose titration intervals, maintenance doses and take-home dosing intervals stratified by medication [methadone, buprenorphine-naloxone and slow-release oral morphine (SROM)] according to recommended guidelines.FindingsA total of 265 410 OAT episodes (57.5% on methadone, 34.5% on buprenorphine-naloxone and 8.0% on SROM) were initiated during the study period. Compared with the guideline recommendation, observed initiation doses were higher among all medications from 2014 (2017 for SROM) to 2021 (buprenorphine-naloxone: 14-29%; methadone: 53-66%; SROM: 26-55%). Titration intervals were shorter for all medications, consistent with guidelines for buprenorphine-naloxone (26-49%), but shorter than recommended for methadone or SROM (28-51% and 12-41%, respectively). Higher maintenance dosing was observed for methadone (68-78%) and SROM (3-21%). Take-home allowances extending beyond the recommended guideline length increased across medications (buprenorphine-naloxone: 18-35%; methadone: 50-64%; SROM: 34-39%). Changes in prescribing patterns were similar for first-time OAT initiators.ConclusionIn British Columbia, Canada, from 2014 to 2021, prescribers of opioid agonist treatment (OAT) appeared to initiate both new and experienced OAT clients at higher doses than guideline recommendations, titrate them more rapidly and maintain clients at higher doses. Take-home dose allowances also gradually increased.