ArticleJournal of substance use2025
Polysubstance use patterns among individuals applying for opioid use disorder treatment in the U.S.
Article in Journal of substance use, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Brixadi for Stimulant Use Disorder: Evolving Pharmacologic Considerations and Clinical Implications.Advances in therapy · 2026Review
- Assessing usability and acceptability of a VR digital therapeutic for treatment of substance use disorders.Journal of social work practice in the addictions · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Objective: The prevalence of polysubstance use is known to be high among individuals who use/misuse drugs. This study aims to extend existing research by (a) measuring polysubstance use through objective drug testing rather than fallible self-reports, (b) determining the most frequent three- and four-substance combinations instead of being limited to typical two-substance combinations, and (c) examining a comprehensive panel of substances beyond those commonly studied. Method: Participants were a convenience sample of individuals applying for methadone maintenance treatment in 11 clinics across 7 states (n= 1098, 43.2% female). Participants voluntarily provided oral fluid and urine specimens to the study during clinic intake that were tested for 22 types of substances by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS). Results: Polysubstance use was high (89.6%), with the mean number of substances used by participants = 3.3, up to a maximum of 11. There were ten three-substance combinations with prevalences of 5% or greater, the most frequent being opiates, fentanyl and cocaine (10.5%). There were nine four-substance combinations with prevalences of 2% or greater, the most frequent being opiates, fentanyl, cocaine and cannabis (4.5%). Many of these combinations can produce serious and even life-threatening interactions and side effects. The combination with perhaps the most severe potential consequence of concurrent use is the combination of opiates, fentanyl, and tramadol (5.1%), which all have sedative or central nervous system (CNS) depressive effects. Conclusion: Clinicians should consider that symptoms of substance use are likely due to diverse combinations of substances, not only problematic use of a single presenting "substance of choice."
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.