[Safety signal detection by the French Addictovigilance Network: Innovative methods of investigation, examples and usefulness for public health]

Abstract

The French Addictovigilance Network aims to monitor all psychoactive substances with abuse potential including prescription drugs and other legal and illegal substances such as new psychoactive substances (NPS) and its consequences in humans. Created in 1990 through a network of regional addictovigilance centres covering the entire country, these pharmacologists with expertise in addictovigilance have developed interface with different partners (physicians, toxicologists, network of community pharmacies, addictology care centers…) and implemented several original tools of pharmacosurveillance (such as DRAMES [death related to the abuse of medicines] in strong collaboration with toxicologists or such OPPIDUM [observation of illegal products and misuse of psychotropic medications]), complementary to the spontaneous reporting. A such multidimensional approach including proactive surveillance by these tools and also among several heterogenous data sources (such as data from hospitals or claims database) is able to detect early addictovigilance signals and warnings as illustrated with three following examples: cannabis use and acute serious cardiovascular disorders, new synthetic opioids (ocfentanil, carfentanil) and severe opiate overdose or deaths, the diverted use of psychoactive drugs (codeine analgesics or sedative H1 antihistamines called purple drank) by adolescents and young adults. The choice of a broad strategy and the multifaceted system implemented by the French Addictovigilance Network using elements of pharmacology (fundamental, clinical, pharmacoepidemiology) expertise is an innovative method to detect early addictovigilance signals, and to describe its characteristics in order to increase awareness of psychoactive substances by patients, users and health professionals.

Keywords: Abus de produits; Addictovigilance; Detection; Drug abuse; Détection; Methods; Monitoring; Méthodes; Signal; Surveillance.