Medical Dialogues
  • Dermatology
Login Register
This site is intended for healthcare professionals only
Login Register
  • MD Brand Connect
  • Vaccine Hub
  • MDTV
    • Breaking News
    • Medical News Today
    • Health News Today
    • Latest
    • Journal Club
    • Medico Legal Update
    • Latest Webinars
    • MD Shorts
    • Health Dialogues
  • Fact Check
  • Health Dialogues
Medical Dialogues
  • Medical News & Guidelines
      • Anesthesiology
      • Cardiology and CTVS
      • Critical Care
      • Dentistry
      • Dermatology
      • Diabetes and Endocrinology
      • ENT
      • Gastroenterology
      • Medicine
      • Nephrology
      • Neurology
      • Obstretics-Gynaecology
      • Oncology
      • Ophthalmology
      • Orthopaedics
      • Pediatrics-Neonatology
      • Psychiatry
      • Pulmonology
      • Radiology
      • Surgery
      • Urology
      • Laboratory Medicine
      • Diet
      • Nursing
      • Paramedical
      • Physiotherapy
  • Health news
      • Doctor News
      • Government Policies
      • Hospital & Diagnostics
      • International Health News
      • Medical Organization News
      • Medico Legal News
      • NBE News
      • NMC News
  • Fact Check
      • Bone Health Fact Check
      • Brain Health Fact Check
      • Cancer Related Fact Check
      • Child Care Fact Check
      • Dental and oral health fact check
      • Diabetes and metabolic health fact check
      • Diet and Nutrition Fact Check
      • Eye and ENT Care Fact Check
      • Fitness fact check
      • Gut health fact check
      • Heart health fact check
      • Kidney health fact check
      • Medical education fact check
      • Men's health fact check
      • Respiratory fact check
      • Skin and hair care fact check
      • Vaccine and Immunization fact check
      • Women's health fact check
  • AYUSH
    • Ayurveda
    • Homeopathy
    • Siddha
    • Unani
    • Yoga
  • State News
      • Andaman and Nicobar Islands
      • Andhra Pradesh
      • Arunachal Pradesh
      • Assam
      • Bihar
      • Chandigarh
      • Chattisgarh
      • Dadra and Nagar Haveli
      • Daman and Diu
      • Delhi
      • Goa
      • Gujarat
      • Haryana
      • Himachal Pradesh
      • Jammu & Kashmir
      • Jharkhand
      • Karnataka
      • Kerala
      • Ladakh
      • Lakshadweep
      • Madhya Pradesh
      • Maharashtra
      • Manipur
      • Meghalaya
      • Mizoram
      • Nagaland
      • Odisha
      • Puducherry
      • Punjab
      • Rajasthan
      • Sikkim
      • Tamil Nadu
      • Telangana
      • Tripura
      • Uttar Pradesh
      • Uttrakhand
      • West Bengal
  • Medical Education
      • Ayush Education News
      • Dentistry Education News
      • Medical Admission News
      • Medical Colleges News
      • Medical Courses News
      • Medical Universities News
      • Nursing education News
      • Paramedical Education News
      • Study Abroad
  • Industry
      • Health Investment News
      • Health Startup News
      • Medical Devices News
      • Pharma News
      • Pharmacy Education News
      • Industry Perspective
  • MDTV
      • Health Dialogues MDTV
      • Health News today MDTV
      • Latest Videos MDTV
      • Latest Webinars MDTV
      • MD shorts MDTV
      • Medical News Today MDTV
      • Medico Legal Update MDTV
      • Top Videos MDTV
      • Health Perspectives MDTV
      • Journal Club MDTV
      • Medical Dialogues Show
This site is intended for healthcare professionals only
LoginRegister
Medical Dialogues
LoginRegister
  • Home
  • Medical news & Guidelines
    • Anesthesiology
    • Cardiology and CTVS
    • Critical Care
    • Dentistry
    • Dermatology
    • Diabetes and Endocrinology
    • ENT
    • Gastroenterology
    • Medicine
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstretics-Gynaecology
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Orthopaedics
    • Pediatrics-Neonatology
    • Psychiatry
    • Pulmonology
    • Radiology
    • Surgery
    • Urology
    • Laboratory Medicine
    • Diet
    • Nursing
    • Paramedical
    • Physiotherapy
  • Health news
    • Doctor News
    • Government Policies
    • Hospital & Diagnostics
    • International Health News
    • Medical Organization News
    • Medico Legal News
    • NBE News
    • NMC News
  • Fact Check
    • Bone Health Fact Check
    • Brain Health Fact Check
    • Cancer Related Fact Check
    • Child Care Fact Check
    • Dental and oral health fact check
    • Diabetes and metabolic health fact check
    • Diet and Nutrition Fact Check
    • Eye and ENT Care Fact Check
    • Fitness fact check
    • Gut health fact check
    • Heart health fact check
    • Kidney health fact check
    • Medical education fact check
    • Men's health fact check
    • Respiratory fact check
    • Skin and hair care fact check
    • Vaccine and Immunization fact check
    • Women's health fact check
  • AYUSH
    • Ayurveda
      • Ayurveda Giuidelines
      • Ayurveda News
    • Homeopathy
      • Homeopathy Guidelines
      • Homeopathy News
    • Siddha
      • Siddha Guidelines
      • Siddha News
    • Unani
      • Unani Guidelines
      • Unani News
    • Yoga
      • Yoga Guidelines
      • Yoga News
  • State News
    • Andaman and Nicobar Islands
    • Andhra Pradesh
    • Arunachal Pradesh
    • Assam
    • Bihar
    • Chandigarh
    • Chattisgarh
    • Dadra and Nagar Haveli
    • Daman and Diu
    • Delhi
    • Goa
    • Gujarat
    • Haryana
    • Himachal Pradesh
    • Jammu & Kashmir
    • Jharkhand
    • Karnataka
    • Kerala
    • Ladakh
    • Lakshadweep
    • Madhya Pradesh
    • Maharashtra
    • Manipur
    • Meghalaya
    • Mizoram
    • Nagaland
    • Odisha
    • Puducherry
    • Punjab
    • Rajasthan
    • Sikkim
    • Tamil Nadu
    • Telangana
    • Tripura
    • Uttar Pradesh
    • Uttrakhand
    • West Bengal
  • Medical Education
    • Ayush Education News
    • Dentistry Education News
    • Medical Admission News
    • Medical Colleges News
    • Medical Courses News
    • Medical Universities News
    • Nursing education News
    • Paramedical Education News
    • Study Abroad
  • Industry
    • Health Investment News
    • Health Startup News
    • Medical Devices News
    • Pharma News
      • CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation) News
    • Pharmacy Education News
    • Industry Perspective
  • Home
  • Psychiatry
  • Psychiatry News
  • Tapentadol, is it the...

Tapentadol, is it the new menace in the "drug-world" ?

Written By : Dr. Shivi Kataria |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2020-12-30T20:30:30+05:30  |  Updated On 30 Dec 2020 8:30 PM IST
Tapentadol, is it the new menace in the drug-world ?
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • Telegram
  • Email

Codeine, dextropropoxyphene, and tramadol were assigned "scheduled" category due to their abuse potential in 2011, 2017, and 2018, respectively, which has restricted their availability in India. Hence, there is a chance of emergence of abuse of a new pharmaceutical opioid. A recent study published by Basu et al in current issue of Indian Journal of Psychiatry shows rising abuse potential of a new drug- Tapentadol in India.

The 2019 Magnitude of Substance Use in India survey showed pharmaceutical opioids to be the second most commonly abused opioids (0.96%), after heroin (1.14%). Tapentadol is a synthetic opioid with both μ-opioid receptor agonist and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor actions. The μ-receptor agonism of tapentadol lies in between that of morphine and tramadol. Although tapentadol has not yet been scheduled under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, there is emerging clinical experience and initial evidence showing its abuse liability in India.

Basu et al aimed to study the prevalence and profile of tapentadol users in a treatment seeking population. The study had prospective and retrospective arms. They collected 8-month prospective data by face-to-face interviews (n = 70) and 8-year retrospective data from case notes (n = 26) with either tapentadol misuse/abuse or dependence in patients attending a de-addiction center. They included all the patients with reported or recorded history of tapentadol use.

There were a total of 3084 new cases, including 1860 cases with opioid dependence. In brief, the results of the study were:

1. There were 279 cases with pharmaceutical and/or mixed opioid use and 70 cases of tapentadol use.

2. The prevalence of tapentadol use was 2.3% among all new cases, 3.8% among opioid users, and 25.1% among pharmaceutical/ mixed opioid users.

3. Concurrent use of other opioids was seen in >80% of participants of both the arms.

4. Major sources of tapentadol were chemists (without a prescription) (53%) and doctors (prescriptions) (40%). Patients in the tapentadol dependence group had a significantly higher dose, duration, and pharmaceutical opioid use.

Discussing the findings, Dr. Basu pointed out, "We believe that this is the first prospective study from India on tapentadol abuse or dependence with a reasonably large sample. The prospective arm of the study shows the prevalence of tapentadol abuse and dependence in the clinic, whereas the retrospective arm reflects an apparently increasing trend of use in the treatment seekers."

Nearly 3/4th of the total 96 patients with tapentadol use were identified during the prospective study. It highlights the importance of proactive case finding and gathering additional relevant information (reason of initiation, subjective psychoactive effect, etc.) for better case profiling in patients with an emerging substance of abuse.

Around 40% of cases were prescribed tapentadol by a doctor, possibly to treat withdrawal symptoms. This practice raises concern for diversion and use of nonevidence-based treatment for opioid dependence. Volkow and McLellan asserted that in the USA, the major source of diverted pharmaceutical opioids was physicians' prescription.

Also Read:Volkow ND, McLellan AT. Opioid abuse in chronic pain‑‑Misconceptions and mitigation strategies. N Engl J Med 2016;374:1253‑63.

A reason for nonevidence-based prescriptions could be the overt legal restriction on the availability of opioid agonist treatment in India. Therefore, we should ensure physicians' education and awareness, prescription monitoring, and improved access and availability of evidence-based treatment to address the problem.

The authors concluded, "With its unrestricted availability, tapentadol is causing concern among medical professionals in India as it is emerging as a substitute for illicit pharmaceutical opioids. Both from the policy and the clinical perspectives, India needs awareness promotion, training, availability restriction, and provision of treatment for tapentadol abuse or dependence."

Source: Indian Journal of Psychiatry: Basu D, Mahintamini T, Ghosh A, Roub F, Subodh BN, Mattoo SK, et al. Tapentadol, the new kid on the block in India: Is it time to worry? Indian J Psychiatry 2020;62: 697-702


drug abuseopioid abusetapentadol
Dr. Shivi Kataria
Dr. Shivi Kataria

    M.B.B.S, M.D. Psychiatry

    M.B.B.S, M.D. Psychiatry (Teerthanker Mahavir University, U.P.) Currently working as Senior Resident in Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) Dilshad Garden, New Delhi. Actively involved in various research activities of the department.

    Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli
    Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

    Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751

    Show Full Article
    Next Story

    Editorial

    Real-World Case study: Darbepoetin Alfa for Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia in Metastatic Breast Cancer - Dr Aditya Murali

    Real-World Case study: Darbepoetin Alfa for Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia in Metastatic Breast Cancer...

    Aspirin in Primary Prevention- When to Consider?

    Aspirin in Primary Prevention- When to Consider?

    Featured image representing medico legal

    What's the Role of Expert Opinion in Medical Negligence?

    7- Point Discharge Protocol for AECOPD: Time to Inculcate in Practice

    7- Point Discharge Protocol for AECOPD: Time to Inculcate in Practice

    Aspirin Use in Women Aged 40-50 with Diabetes and Hypertension: Identifying the Ideal Candidates

    Aspirin Use in Women Aged 40-50 with Diabetes and Hypertension: Identifying the Ideal Candidates

    View All

    Journal Club Today

    Can Just a Few Nights of Poor Sleep Increase Your Risk of Heart Disease? Study Finds Out

    Can Just a Few Nights of Poor Sleep Increase Your Risk of Heart Disease? Study Finds Out

    View All

    Health News Today

    Health Bulletin 12/ May/ 2025

    Health Bulletin 12/ May/ 2025

    View All
    © 2022 All Rights Reserved.
    Powered By: Hocalwire
    X
    We use cookies for analytics, advertising and to improve our site. You agree to our use of cookies by continuing to use our site. To know more, see our Cookie Policy and Cookie Settings.Ok