Opioid Dependence News and Research

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Prescription-only changes reduce codeine misuse in Australia

The move to prescription-only codeine in Australia has seen a 50 percent reduction in the monthly rate of codeine-related poisoning calls and halved codeine sales, finds new research led by the University of Sydney.

3 Oct 2019

Inflammation in the gut and brain may exacerbate symptoms linked with opioid withdrawal

Opioid dependence has become a national crisis with serious impact on economic and social welfare, and numerous casualties.

29 Aug 2019

Maternal prepregnancy surgery linked to increased risk of opioid withdrawal in newborns

Babies whose mothers underwent surgery before pregnancy have an increased risk of opioid withdrawal symptoms at birth, according to a new study done at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre and published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

15 Jul 2019

FDA approves new drug to treat hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Vyleesi (bremelanotide) to treat acquired, generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women.

23 Jun 2019

Surgeons’ opioid-prescribing habits hard to kick

As opioid addiction and deadly overdoses escalated into an epidemic across the U.S., thousands of surgeons continued to hand out far more pills than needed for postoperative pain relief, according to a KHN-Johns Hopkins analysis of Medicare data.

21 Jun 2019

Cannabis could help people with opioid addiction

A new study has shown that cannabidiol or CBD, found in cannabis, could help people with opioid use disorder or addiction. CBD can help reduce the symptoms of craving among addicts when on withdrawal from the opioid and also reduce the accompanying anxiety and restlessness write the authors of the study.

22 May 2019

Addiction medicine mostly prescribed to whites, even as opioid deaths rose among blacks

White drug users addicted to heroin, fentanyl and other opioids have had near-exclusive access to buprenorphine, a drug that curbs the craving for opioids and reduces the chance of a fatal overdose.

8 May 2019

Many cancer patients use marijuana and prescription opioids, study reveals

A new study reveals that many people with cancer use marijuana, and rates of use in the U.S. have increased over time.

22 Apr 2019

Naltrexone implant more effective in reducing relapses in HIV patients with opioid addiction

When patients with HIV who are also battling opioid dependence go without addiction treatment, they are more likely to stop taking their HIV medications than drug-free patients.

22 Mar 2019

Blunting emotional component associated with pain

Chronic pain involves more than just hurting. People suffering from pain often experience sadness, depression and lethargy. That's one reason opioids can be so addictive -- they not only dampen the pain but also make people feel euphoric.

13 Mar 2019

Persistant opioid use in the family may be risk factor for young adults after surgery

Having a family member with persistent opioid use may be a risk factor for young adults continuing prescriptions long after their own surgeries, a new Michigan Medicine study suggests.

28 Feb 2019

Opiod prescriptions for pet dogs misused by their masters

A new study has shown that Americans are probably increasingly consuming the opioid analgesics that are prescribed for their pet dogs. The research shows that one of the reasons behind rise in the opioid epidemic could be the rise in prescription opioids for dogs.

14 Jan 2019

Researchers discover extent of opioid use and abuse in head and neck cancer patients

Cancer patients are often prescribed pain medications, for example during recovery from surgical procedures. However, for many cancer patients, the use of opioid pain medications during treatment can be a gateway to misuse or addiction once treatment ends.

27 Dec 2018

First-of-its-kind undertaking to study genetic, biological factors that contribute to development of opioid use disorder

The Coriell Institute for Medical Research, Cooper University Health Care and Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (CMSRU) are launching the Camden Opioid Research Initiative (CORI), a first-of-its-kind undertaking to investigate the genetic and biological factors that contribute to the development of opioid use disorder (also referred to as opioid dependence or addiction).

29 Nov 2018

CU Denver professor receives funding to study opioid addiction treatment for chronic pain sufferers

The University of Colorado Denver and assistant psychology professor Dr. Amy Wachholtz were awarded more than $700,000 in funding by the National Institute of Health (NIH) to study treatments for chronic pain sufferers who become addicted to opioids. Recruitment is underway to enroll study patients for this clinical research.

12 Oct 2018

Nearly one in three opioid prescriptions in the US not justified, finds analysis

According to a nationwide analysis of physician visit records conducted by a team of researchers at Harvard Medical School and the RAND Corporation, nearly 30 percent of the outpatient opioid prescriptions made out in the United States do not have documented justification for their use.

12 Sep 2018

Study raises concerns about inappropriate opioid prescribing, lax documentation practices

Nearly 30 percent of outpatient opioid prescriptions in the United States lack documented clinical reasons that justify the use of these potent drugs, according to a national analysis of physician visit records conducted by researchers at Harvard Medical School and the RAND Corporation.

11 Sep 2018

FDA approves Cassipa sublingual film for maintenance treatment of opioid dependence

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Cassipa (buprenorphine and naloxone) sublingual film (applied under the tongue) for the maintenance treatment of opioid dependence.

7 Sep 2018

Ketamine's acute antidepressant effect requires opioid system activation, finds study

A new study appearing online today from the American Journal of Psychiatry finds that ketamine's acute antidepressant effect requires opioid system activation, the first time that a receptor site has been shown in humans to be necessary for any antidepressant's mechanism of action.

29 Aug 2018

WVU researchers examine safety of Suboxone use in opioid-dependent pregnant women

Medications that physicians have traditionally prescribed to treat opioid use disorders-such as methadone and Subutex-can be misused by taking them in larger amounts than prescribed or by injecting them.

7 Aug 2018