Zopiclone misuse: an update from Dublin

Abstract

The prevalence of zopiclone misuse in clients attending a methadone maintenance programme in Dublin through detection of its degradation product, 2-amino-5-chloropyridine (ACP) on urinalysis is outlined. Urine samples from all 158 clients were tested for the presence of ACP, opiates, benzodiazepines, cocaine, alcohol and cannabis. Of the 37 (23%) clients who tested positive for ACP, 23 (62%) were interviewed. A profile of zopiclone misusers is outlined, including details of demographics, drug history, viral status, recent urinalysis results and opinions on zopiclone. Of the 14 (38%) clients who were not interviewed, information was obtained from their clinical casenotes and documented urinalysis results. The prevalence of zopiclone misuse was reported as 23%. Benzodiazepines were the most popular drug of misuse with zopiclone followed by heroin/opiates. Zopiclone is being misused by drug users in Dublin in the context of many other drugs. Prescribing of zopiclone should be restricted, especially among drug misusers.

Nonmedical Use of Antihistaminergic Anxiolytics and Other Prescription Drugs among Persons with Opioid Dependence

“…This study strongly supported the misuse potential of z-drugs among people with opioid dependence [16, 17] with almost three-quarters of people who reported z-drug lifetime use also reporting nonmedical use. It is also notable that a quarter of those who reported lifetime pregabalin use used it for recreational purposes.…”

“…This is the case for the so-called z-drugs, benzodiazepine-like hypnotics including zolpidem, zaleplon, and zopiclone [16, 17], as well as the anxiolytic drug pregabalin [18]. In a study in Ireland, 23% of patients in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) were using z-drugs nonmedically [16]. The percentage of nonmedical pregabalin use among patients in OMT has been estimated at 3–12% in previous studies [18–22].…”

Stability tests of zopiclone in whole blood

“…Zopiclone, a short acting hypnotic drug used for treatment of insomnia, is a common finding in forensic cases [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] and it is frequently analyzed in biological materials using different analytical methods. Analysis of zopiclone in biological specimens is complicated by its instability in certain solvents e.g.…”

Zopiclone degradation in biological samples : Characteristics and consequences in forensic toxicology

“…During the past few years there have been an increasing number of reports about the abuse and misuse of ZOP [90]. One study showed a prevalent misuse of ZOP when its degradation product 2-amino-5-chloropyridine (ACP) was detected in urine [69]. In Sweden, the first petty drug offences involving ZOP appeared 1994.…”

“…The drug was introduced for treatment of insomnia in the 1980s and was registered in Sweden in 1991. ZOP is increasingly being encountered in forensic cases and is a common finding in samples from drug-impaired drivers, users of illicit recreational drugs, victims of drug facilitated sexual assaults and forensic autopsy cases [25,[69][70][71][72][73][74][75][76]. ZOP is considered a non-benzodiazepine from the cyclopyrrolone class.…”