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INTERNET PHARMACIES, which are theorized to increase the risk of opioid misuse, abuse, dependence, and fatal overdose, are reputed to sell drugs to anyone who can afford to pay (Boyer, [...], Objective: Access to prescription opioid analgesics has made Internet pharmacies the object of increased regulatory scrutiny, but the effectiveness of regulatory changes in curtailing availability of opioid analgesics from online sources has been not assessed. As part of an ongoing investigation into the relationship between the Internet and substance abuse, we examined the availability of prescription opioid analgesics from online pharmacies. Method: From a pharmacy watch Web site, we constructed a data set of postings entered every 3 months beginning November 1, 2005, that were related to the purchase of prescription opioid analgesics. Trained examiners assessed whether the final post described accessibility of pain medications that was increasing or decreasing. Results: We identified 45 threads related to the availability of opioid analgesics from Internet pharmacies. Of the 41 (91%) threads describing the declining availability of opioid analgesic agents from Internet pharmacies, 34 (82%) received posts on November 1, 2007. Despite the subjective nature of the research question, there was high interobserver agreement between coders (κ = .845) that availability of opioid analgesics from online pharmacies had decreased. This finding was supported by a dramatic rise in the number of pageviews (an accepted measure of Web site visitor interest in a page's content) of Web pages describing decreased availability of opioid analgesics. Conclusions: These data suggest striking decreases in the availability of prescription opioid analgesic pharmaceuticals. This self-reported change in drug availability may be related to increased regulation of and law enforcement operations directed against Internet pharmacies.

ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE IS A POTENT risk factor for suicidal ideation and behavior. A meta-analysis of international studies estimated that individuals with alcohol dependence are at 9.8 (95% confidence interval [CI]: [...], Objective: Using a heuristic model of suicidal ideation and behavior, the two objectives were to identify correlates of(l) unique suicide-related outcomes (ideation, planning, planned attempt, unplanned attempt) and (2) specific transitions from one suicide-related category to the next. Method: Analyses were conducted with data from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA), a six-site family pedigree study of individuals in treatment for alcoholism, their relatives, and control families. There were 3,729 subjects in the analysis; all were age 18 years or older with a diagnosis of current alcohol dependence according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition, Revised. Lifetime suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts were analyzed retrospectively. Correlates of each lifetime transition were analyzed using a series of multivariate logistic regressions. Multivariate multinomial regression analysis was used to examine correlates of each lifetime outcome. Results: Female gender is uniquely associated with transitions to unplanned and planned attempts. Independent depression and substance-induced depression are associated with transitions to ideation and planning, whereas alcohol-related aggression is correlated with transitions to unplanned attempts. Analyses of suicide-related outcomes show that women are at higher risk for unplanned and planned attempts. Substance use and impairment are related to suicidal plans and attempts but not ideation. Independent and substance-induced depressions are associated with each suicide-related outcome, whereas alcohol-related aggression is uniquely related to unplanned attempts. Conclusions: Data underscore the heterogeneity of suicidal ideation and behavior among alcoholics and indicate the need to make clear distinctions between types of suicidal ideation and behavior in research and prevention efforts.

The article presents a letter to the editor in response to the article "Release from prison--a high risk of death for former inmates," by I. A. Binswanger and colleagues in the January 11, 2007 issue.