Can Prescribed Psychostimulants Build a Safer Future?

There is a mounting body of evidence that suggests the use of psychostimulant medications can be beneficial in decreasing the consumption of illicit stimulants like methamphetamine. The prevalence of illicit stimulant use appears to be on the rise, as indicated by the presence of these substances in a significant portion of opioid-related deaths in Canada during 2022. In light of clinical trial findings from Australia, Europe, and the United States, healthcare professionals in Canada and other nations are progressively turning to the prescription of psychostimulants as a harm-reduction strategy for individuals with stimulant use disorder.

"This emerging evidence can support prescribers' level of confidence in off-label prescribing of psychostimulants to patients with stimulant use disorder (and particularly for patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and stimulant use disorder)," write Drs. Heather Palis, University of British Columbia, and Scott MacDonald, Providence Health Care, Vancouver, BC.

In 2020, Canada's Federal Minister of Health issued a letter to the provinces and territories to encourage increasing access to safer pharmaceutical-grade drugs as an alternative to contaminated illegal drugs. Only BC has issued guidance on prescribing psychostimulants to people at risk of overdose (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Incorporating prescription psychostimulants into the continuum of care for people with stimulant use disorder in Canada

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Prescribed Psychostimulants as a Key Component in Overcoming Illicit Stimulant Dependency

To help implement prescribed psychostimulants in Canada, the authors suggest that clinical practice guidance should be updated based on new evidence, and that substance use treatment programs and clinics establish protocols to incorporate psychostimulants into the range of interventions.

"Broader implementation of prescribed psychostimulants as an effective option in the continuum of care for stimulant use disorder is needed in Canada; this practice would help the growing number of patients seeking to reduce their reliance on the illegal stimulant supply during the ongoing unregulated drug poisoning crisis," they conclude.

Reference:

1. Incorporating prescription psychostimulants into the continuum of care for people with stimulant use disorder in Canada - (https://www.cmaj.ca/content/195/27/E934)

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Source-Medindia