FADAA Substance Abuse Trend Alert: Gabapentin Use in the U.S. and Florida

 

FADAA Substance Abuse Trend Alert:
Gabapentin Use in the U.S. & Florida

Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant used to prevent seizures and relieve pain for certain conditions in the nervous system. It can be taken as a tablet, capsule, or solution. Some side effects include drowsiness, dizziness, and blurred vision.

Although gabapentin is FDA approved, its misuse during the rise of the opioid epidemic has raised safety conditions and warnings about serious breathing difficulties related to the use of gabapentin in tandem with other drugs that suppress the central nervous system.

Gabapentin Use in the U.S.

The number of prescriptions for gabapentin has risen and grown in popularity as an alternative medication to opioids. Between 2009-2016, the U.S. prescribing rate for gabapentin went from 13.3 to 27.1 prescriptions per 1,000 population. By 2019, it was the tenth most prescribed drug in the U.S. with 47 million prescriptions. Crime lab reports currently identify gabapentin among the top 25 drug cases nationally with 2,566 cases in 2020.

Gabapentin Use in Florida

In 2009, the prescribing rate for gabapentin in Florida was just over 10 prescriptions for 1,000 population, while in 2016 it was over 25 per 1,000. Gabapentin was the second-highest drug of abuse reported by the Florida Poison Control Centers in 2020. In total, there were 803 exposures to gabapentin in 2020. In 2020, the Florida Medical Examiners Commission required all districts in the state to report deaths associated with gabapentin - 861 occurrences were reported in 2020. 

Recommendations

Based on increased documented crime lab reports and deaths associated with gabapentin, it appears that this drug is being used illicitly. Updates to gabapentin label warnings regarding potential breathing difficulties, especially with taken with other depressant medications, should be required and discussed by medical professionals when described. Lastly, clinical trials to further understand the abuse potential of gabapentin is needed, especially in combination with opioids.