Opioids News and Research

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An opioid is a chemical that works by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally in the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. The receptors in these two organ systems mediate both the beneficial effects and the side effects of opioids.

UMSOM receives $29 million research award to improve health outcomes in people who inject opioid drugs

University of Maryland School of Medicine Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD, announced today that the school will receive a $29 million research award over four years from the National Institutes of Health to lead a multicenter trial that aims to improve health outcomes in people who inject opioid drugs and are hospitalized with infectious complications of their drug use.

11 Dec 2023

Study shows decline in post-surgery opioid prescriptions, but urges continued efforts

Post-surgery pain relief has shifted away from opioid-containing medications over the past seven years, but the downward trend has slowed since 2020, a new study shows.

7 Dec 2023

Promising candidate medication for preventing and reversing fentanyl-induced overdose

Researchers assessed CSX-1004, a monoclonal antibody (mAb), for its efficacy in reversing fentanyl overdose based on its high affinity for fentanyl, positive animal model results, and safe pharmacokinetic profile, positioning it as a potential solution in the opioid crisis.

7 Dec 2023

MedUni Vienna scientists discover new pain medication with fewer side effects

People with chronic pain are often dependent on drugs from the class of opioids with sometimes considerable side effects.

6 Dec 2023

Study offers new insights into ketamine's rewiring of the brain

Ketamine – an anesthetic also known for its illicit use as a recreational drug – has undergone a thorough reputational rehabilitation in recent years as the medical establishment has begun to recognize its wide-ranging therapeutic effects.

4 Dec 2023

Study finds no evidence to suggest cannabis reduces illicit opioid use

A 20-year Australian study has found no evidence to suggest cannabis reduces illicit opioid use, and it may not be an effective long-term method of reducing harm for those with an opioid use disorder or problematic use of opioids.

29 Nov 2023

Evolving overdose crisis shakes previously effective treatments

"You can't inject a horse tranquilizer and think nothing bad is gonna happen" to you, said Ty Sears, 33, a longtime drug user now in recovery.

21 Nov 2023

Study highlights rise in pain medication dependence due to medical negligence

Dependence on pain medication is on the rise due to lack of vigilance by medical professionals, according to a new study from the University of Surrey.

20 Nov 2023

Benzodiazepine prescribing practices for homeless veterans with mental illness

Despite elevated risk for substance use disorder and overdose death in the homeless population, benzodiazepine prescribing for this population has not been examined.

17 Nov 2023

Study reveals acupuncture and massage as effective pain management in advanced cancer

In a clinical trial, acupuncture and massage therapy significantly reduced pain, fatigue, and insomnia, enhancing quality of life in advanced cancer patients over 26 weeks.

16 Nov 2023

Researchers develop new method to detect designer drugs in urine samples

Researchers from the University of B.C. and the BC Provincial Toxicology Centre (BCPTC) have developed a more efficient way to find out which new 'designer drugs' are circulating in the community

15 Nov 2023

Minnesota data-sharing model tracks drug overdose hospital and ED trends

In a recently released study, researchers at Hennepin Healthcare and other Minnesota health systems describe how a COVID-19 collaboration across Minnesota health systems was adapted to monitor near-real-time trends in substance use–related hospital and emergency department (ED) visits.

10 Nov 2023

CDC publishes updated and expanded recommendations for clinicians providing pain care

Pain affects the lives of millions of Americans every day and improving pain care and the lives of patients with pain is a public health imperative.

10 Nov 2023

Dental opioid prescribing declines in the U.S., but pandemic slows progressNovember 3, 2023

Americans who have a tooth pulled or another painful dental procedure in the United States today are far less likely to get opioid painkillers than they were just a few years ago, a University of Michigan study shows.

3 Nov 2023

New prediction model estimates risk of opioid relapse early in treatment

A newly developed prediction model may be able to calculate the risk of opioid relapse among individuals in the early stages of medication treatment-;as early as three weeks into therapy.

3 Nov 2023

COVID-19 pandemic may have thrown a wrench in efforts to reduce opioid use in dental care

Americans who have a tooth pulled or another painful dental procedure in the United States today are far less likely to get opioid painkillers than they were just a few years ago, a new study shows.

2 Nov 2023

Study finds substantial racial disparities in opioid prescribing for pain

The new study from the University of Greenwich looked at data from US Emergency Departments Across 1999-2020 and found substantial differences in how Black and White patients were treated for pain.

2 Nov 2023

Gubernatorial candidates quarrel over glory for winning opioid settlements

Opioid settlement cash is not inherently political. It's not the result of a law passed by Congress nor an edit to the state budget. It's not taxpayer money. Rather, it's coming from health care companies that were sued for fueling the opioid crisis with prescription painkillers.

1 Nov 2023

USDA grant awarded to MU researchers to reduce opioid overdoses and suicides in Rural Missouri

Childhood trauma is a key risk factor for future substance use disorder, overdose, and suicide. This is particularly problematic in rural areas where children experience higher rates of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

27 Oct 2023

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': The new speaker’s (limited) record on health

After nearly a month of bickering, House Republicans finally elected a new speaker: Louisiana Republican Rep. Mike Johnson, a relative unknown to many.

26 Oct 2023