Reducing abuse of orally administered prescription opioids using formulation technologies

Prescription drug abuse is a worldwide healthcare concern. Opioid pain relievers and opioid substitution treatments are the main concern. This paper presents the drug products available or under development that have been specifically formulated to limit drug abuse, i.e., abuse-deterrent and tamper-resistant formulations. Abuse-deterrent formulations are products that include an aversive agent or combinations of opioid agonists and antagonists that will induce withdrawal symptoms when abused via nasal or intravenous routes. Tamper-resistant formulations limit the ability of abusers to alter the pharmaceutical form prior to snorting or injection. These strategies are only part of the global care of drug abuse: medical care and legal frameworks must be closely combined with these pharmaceutical approaches.