VA Researchers Gave Morphine to Addicts in Study

VA Researchers Gave Morphine to Addicts in Study
May 5, 2009

News Summary

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs gave doses of morphine to a study group of 69 heroin addicts, then cut them off to measure the impact of withdrawal on hyperactivity, the Washington Examiner reported April 30.

The VA spent more than $7.8 million in 1994-95 on the study, details of which were recently revealed thanks to a Freedom of Information Act request.

Researchers found that the opiate-addicted test subjects suffered 787 "adverse events" as a result of the morphine being withdrawn, such as constipation and heart problems. Researchers considered 38 of the reactions to be severe.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) approved the study, but some view giving illicit drugs to addicts as ethically suspect, even for research purposes. "It's very, very good for us to think about these matters," said Petros Levounis, director of the Addiction Institute of New York. "But really, the truth of the matter is that these patients, in general, would continue to use these drugs. By bringing them into a hospital, we're increasing the odds that they will engage in treatment."

NIDA Responds:
The Benefits of Clinical Research on Drugs of Abuse

COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE:

Posted by Anonymous on 06 May 09 10:14 AM EDT

This study not only administered drugs to addicts, it did so in an apparent effort to elicit and measure adverse responses, including "severe" adverse events, with no possible benefit to the participants. Were the subjects offered recovery-oriented services after the researchers completed their study? Would this study have made it past the ethics committee if the subjects were diabetics or hypertensives? I am appalled.

Posted by Lauarey Jaros on 06 May 09 10:41 AM EDT

So much for supporting our troops. How unethical and how disgusting. Give these "scientists" something useful to do that doesn't inflict harm and pain. And please --don't continue to not fund treatment with the excuse that there aren't enough funds.

Posted by Donna on 06 May 09 04:57 PM EDT

And the point of this study was???

Posted by LC on 11 May 09 11:14 AM EDT

I am not familiar with the details of the study, but I am sure there was informed consent. I can also imagine that one aim was to better understand the characteristics of opioid withdrawal in this population. This is an issue that is thought to be critically important to treating pain and drug abuse, which are quite prevalent in veterans.

Posted by Al Benalli on 11 May 09 11:18 AM EDT

A sad state of affairs. I to was concerned if you were able to care for these individuals after the study. You could have just interviewed recovering addicts and spent your 7.8 million on treatment in some VA hospitals where they are lacking resources, like OUTREACH to care for our veterans. More and more I learn the VA is so top heavy with their hiring practices and using us as guinea pigs for their research.

Posted by Profbam on 11 May 09 11:27 AM EDT

It is difficult to judge the study when only partial details are available, the original article does not have much more than the above. I do not have an issue with administering controlled substances to addicts under certain controlled conditions, that is not an issue. But several ethical issues appear to be involved: 1) addicts were used as experimental subjects in a study that as the minimal details available indicate did not offer therapeutic benefit; 2) the data were kept secret rather than published and unavailable to both the research and health care communities; 3) I would like to know very much how the informed consent form presented this to the subjects; 4) that opiate addicts have diarrhea, vomiting, hypertension, anxiety, tachynea upon abrupt withdrawal of narcotic is well known, what new knowledge was expected to be generated? Both the VA and NIDA have human research review committees: how did this pass?

Posted by LC on 11 May 09 05:16 PM EDT

Profbam: I think you hit it on the head that so little can be judged when so few details are revealed in the story. Seems like more informative journalism by Myers at the Examiner could assuage or justify your concerns, but instead he continues to simply beat the sensationalistic "someone is giving drugs to addicts" drum (see previous stories from him on 3/25 and 3/26). Come on Myers, news used to be about information, not just getting folks riled up.

Posted by Eric Helmuth, Join Together/CASA on 13 May 09 06:05 PM EDT

The National Institute on Drug Abuse submitted a response to the concerns raised by this news story we summarized. We have linked to this response at the end of the article above.

The Benefits of Clinical Research on Drugs of Abuse

Scientists Show How Brain Protein is Involved in Addiction

Nausea Drug Shows Promise for Treating Opioid Withdrawal

One-Time Morphine Use Could Raise Addiction Risk, Study Says

Physician Clinical Support System - Methadone

Policy Brief on Buprenorphine Treatment for Opioid Addiction