Participant experiences in a pilot study for methamphetamine withdrawal treatment: Implications for retention

Liam S Acheson; Simon Clay; Rebecca McKetin; Nicholas Lintzeris; Adrian Dunlop; Jonathan Brett; Michael Christmass; Craig Rodgers; Steve Shoptaw; Michael Farrell; Nadine Ezard; Krista J Siefried

doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104383

Participant experiences in a pilot study for methamphetamine withdrawal treatment: Implications for retention

Int J Drug Policy. 2024 Mar 12:126:104383. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104383. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), University of New South Wales, 22-32 King St, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia; Alcohol and Drug Service, St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, 390 Victoria St Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; The National Centre for Clinical Research on Emerging Drugs (NCCRED), c/o University of New South Wales, 22-32 King St, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia. Electronic address: liam.acheson@svha.org.au.
² The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), University of New South Wales, 22-32 King St, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia.
³ New South Wales Drug and Alcohol Clinical Research and Improvement Network (DACRIN), Sydney, Australia; Drug and Alcohol Services, South East Sydney Local Health District, 591 S Dowling St, Surry Hills, NSW 2010, Australia; Specialty of Addiction Medicine, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia.
⁴ New South Wales Drug and Alcohol Clinical Research and Improvement Network (DACRIN), Sydney, Australia; Drug and Alcohol Clinical Services, Hunter New England Local Health District, Lookout Rd, New Lambton Heights, NSW 2305, Australia; School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, University Dr, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
⁵ Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, 390 Victoria St Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; St. Vincent's Clinical School, The University of New South Wales, 390 Victoria St Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia.
⁶ Next Step Drug and Alcohol Services, 32 Moore St, East Perth, WA, 6004, United States; National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley WA 6102, United States.
⁷ Alcohol and Drug Service, St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, 390 Victoria St Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia.
⁸ Department of Family Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States.
⁹ Alcohol and Drug Service, St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, 390 Victoria St Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; The National Centre for Clinical Research on Emerging Drugs (NCCRED), c/o University of New South Wales, 22-32 King St, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia; New South Wales Drug and Alcohol Clinical Research and Improvement Network (DACRIN), Sydney, Australia.
¹⁰ The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), University of New South Wales, 22-32 King St, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia; Alcohol and Drug Service, St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, 390 Victoria St Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; The National Centre for Clinical Research on Emerging Drugs (NCCRED), c/o University of New South Wales, 22-32 King St, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia.

PMID: 38479162
DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104383

Abstract

Introduction: There is little knowledge of the perspectives of people who use methamphetamine and have participated in clinical trials, and none for interventions not intended to address abstinence. A better understanding of these experiences could lead to more patient centred clinical trial design. This study seeks to understand the experiences of people who completed a clinical trial of lisdexamfetamine for the treatment of acute methamphetamine withdrawal.

Methods: Thematic analysis of open-ended, semi-structured interviews with eight people who participated in an inpatient clinical trial of lisdexamfetamine for acute methamphetamine withdrawal. Interviews were conducted between days 3 and 6 of admission to an inner-city Sydney hospital.

Results: Participants described how research procedures, the research setting, and the investigational product affected their experiences while enrolled in a clinical trial. Of particular importance to participants were transparent and low burden trial procedures, a welcoming trial environment, trusting relationships and effective communication, which were linked with the participants' subsequent decision to remain enrolled in the trial.

Discussion: The experiences of participants in this clinical trial can be distilled into four meta-themes: agency, caring-trust, safety, and communication. Participants spontaneously linked these experiences with a capacity to remain enrolled in the study. By considering the experiences of trial participants in clinical trial design, researchers can improve the experiences of future trial participants and facilitate their choice to remain enrolled in clinical trials.

Keywords: Clinical trial; Methamphetamine; Participant experiences; Qualitative; Thematic analysis.