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Behavioral economic demand metrics for abuse deterrent and abuse potential quantification
Lindsay P Schwartz1, Peter G Roma2, Jack E Henningfield3
1Institutes for Behavior Resources, 2104 Maryland Ave, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
|March 13, 2019
Summary
Hypothetical purchase task (HPT) questionnaires can measure drug abuse potential. In opioid-abusing patients, HPTs distinguished between standard and abuse-deterrent formulations, showing formulation matters for at-risk individuals.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral economics
- Psychopharmacology
- Public health
Background:
- Behavioral economics offers a framework for assessing drug abuse potential.
- Hypothetical Purchase Task (HPT) questionnaires are a potential tool for measuring drug appeal.
- Empirical validation is needed to compare the essential value (EV) of different drug formulations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the essential value (EV) of opioid medications using HPT assessments.
- To compare easily tampered formulations versus abuse-deterrent formulations in patients with a history of opioid abuse.
- To establish the validity of HPTs in measuring abuse potential across different drug formulations.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Hypothetical Purchase Task (HPT) assessments.
- Applied the Exponential Model of Demand to quantify essential value (EV).
- Compared opioid pill formulations (tamperable vs. abuse-deterrent) in patients with a history of opioid abuse.
Main Results:
- Opioid pills showed more inelastic demand than cigarettes and alcohol.
- Patients with pill manipulation experience (M group) had higher demand for standard pills compared to those without (NM group).
- The M group exhibited more elastic demand for abuse-deterrent pills versus standard pills, while the NM group showed no formulation effect.
Conclusions:
- HPTs appear to be a sensitive measure for assessing drug abuse potential.
- HPTs can differentiate between various pharmaceutical formulations in at-risk populations.
- Findings support the use of HPTs for informing public health risk and clinical treatment strategies.
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