Unit-Dose Packaging and Unintentional Buprenorphine-Naloxone Exposures

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Buprenorphine accounts for the most opioid-related pediatric hospital admissions when compared with other opioid analgesics. Since 2010, several manufacturers began distributing their buprenorphine products with unit-dose packaging (UDP). Our main objective in this study is to evaluate the impact of UDP on unintentional pediatric buprenorphine-naloxone poison center exposures. METHODS: This is an observational surveillance study in which the Researched Abuse, Diversion, and Addiction-Related Surveillance System Poison Center Program is used. The main outcome was cases of unintentional ingestions involving children RESULTS: Overall, there were 6217 exposures to combination products. In the pre-UDP period, there were 20.57 pediatric unintentional exposures per 100 000 prescriptions dispensed; in the transition to UDP period, there were 8.77 pediatric unintentional exposures per 100 000 prescriptions dispensed; and in the post-UDP period, there were 4.36 pediatric unintentional exposures per 100 000 prescriptions dispensed. This represents a 78.8% (95% confidence interval: 76.1%–81.3%; P CONCLUSIONS: The shift from non-UDP to UDP in over 80% of buprenorphine-naloxone products was associated with a significant decrease in unintentional pediatric exposures reported to poison centers. Packaging controls should be a mainstay in the approach to the prevention of unintentional buprenorphine pediatric exposures as well as exposures to other prescription opioids.