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.

New opioid accelerates recovery and prevents relapse to chronic pain

Morphine and other opioid-based painkillers are very effective at treating pain initially, but studies have shown that the drugs can make patients more pain-sensitive, prolonging their discomfort and increasing their risks of developing chronic pain.

22 May 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

Virtual clinical trial: Improving methadone dosage for drug users with TB to prevent withdrawal symptoms

Drug users on methadone programs who contract tuberculosis should receive effective treatment while maintaining the correct level of methadone in their bodies, following a virtual clinical trial by pharmacy researchers at Aston University in partnership with drugs charity Addaction.

21 May 2019

Why Missouri’s the last holdout on a statewide Rx monitoring program

Missouri retained its lonely title as the only state without a statewide prescription drug monitoring program — for the seventh year in a row — after the legislative session ended Friday.

21 May 2019

Opioid prescriptions drop sharply among state workers

The agency that manages health care for California's massive state workforce is reporting a major reduction in opioid prescriptions, reflecting a national trend of physicians cutting back on the addictive drugs.

21 May 2019

University of Virginia chemist identifies potential addiction-free pain reliever

An estimated 1.7 million Americans suffer from substance abuse disorders related to opioid use for pain relief, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

17 May 2019

Babies exposed to opioids prenatally react more strongly to pain

Babies exposed to opioids while their mothers were pregnant with them may need special care even before they start to experience withdrawal symptoms, according to Penn State research.

15 May 2019

Researchers learn more about opioid prescribing in primary care

Chronic opioid prescribing in primary care varies significantly by patient and clinician characteristics, according to a new study.

15 May 2019

Study finds persistently high rate of long-term opioid prescribing for older cancer survivors

Using Medicare data, new findings from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston show for the first time that the rates of long term opiate therapy - a 90-day or more supply of opioids per year - for older cancer survivors remain high for at least five years in cancer survivors.

14 May 2019

New research highlights need to decrease amount of opioid medication available for misuse

As states crack down on doctor and pharmacy "shopping" by people who misuse opioids, a new study reveals how often those individuals may still be able to find opioids to misuse in their family medicine cabinets.

13 May 2019

GPs must be better-equipped to tackle chronic opioid use

GPs must be better-equipped to support patients to manage the psychological challenge of reducing their opioid use - according to new research from the University of East Anglia.

13 May 2019

SLU researchers reveal how to turn off neuropathic pain in a laboratory setting

Facing an urgent need for safer and more effective therapies for those suffering from debilitating pain in the midst of an opioid crisis, Saint Louis University researchers are on a mission to find a non-narcotic off-switch for pain.

10 May 2019

Could deep brain stimulation help resolve the opioid epidemic?

Researchers have developed an implant that has shown promise for reducing addiction rates. However, there are major ethical and financial concerns, which we have tried to cover in this news story.

9 May 2019

Opioid overdose found to be most common cause of pregnancy-associated death in new moms

As the opioid epidemic rages on, one vulnerable group--new moms--have often been overlooked.

9 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

Meth vs. opioids: America has two drug epidemics, but focuses on one

Kim had been wine tasting with a friend in Sonoma, Calif. They got into an argument in the car that night and Kim thought someone was following them. She was utterly convinced. And she had to get away.

7 May 2019

Research on Reddit identifies risks associated with unproven treatments for opioid addiction

Using advanced machine-learning techniques, Georgia Tech researchers have examined nearly 1.5 million Reddit posts to identify risks associated with several of the most common alternative - and unproven - "treatments" for opioid addiction.

2 May 2019

SLU researcher wins NIH grant to identify risk factors for opioid-related depression

A Saint Louis University researcher has received a grant to study the pathways from chronic prescription opioid use to new onset mood disorder.

29 Apr 2019

Filled opioid prescriptions are relatively rare in Medicaid-enrolled children, finds study

A new study describes trends in filled opioid prescriptions by patient and clinical characteristics for Medicaid-enrolled children.

27 Apr 2019

New quality improvement tool shows signs of improved care of opioid-exposed newborns

A new quality improvement tool called Eat, Sleep and Console shows consistent signs of improved care of opioid-exposed newborns in neonatal intensive care units.

27 Apr 2019

Opioids News and Research

Further Reading

New opioid accelerates recovery and prevents relapse to chronic pain

Cannabis could help people with opioid addiction

Virtual clinical trial: Improving methadone dosage for drug users with TB to prevent withdrawal symptoms

Why Missouri’s the last holdout on a statewide Rx monitoring program

Opioid prescriptions drop sharply among state workers

University of Virginia chemist identifies potential addiction-free pain reliever

Babies exposed to opioids prenatally react more strongly to pain

Researchers learn more about opioid prescribing in primary care

Study finds persistently high rate of long-term opioid prescribing for older cancer survivors

New research highlights need to decrease amount of opioid medication available for misuse

GPs must be better-equipped to tackle chronic opioid use

SLU researchers reveal how to turn off neuropathic pain in a laboratory setting

Could deep brain stimulation help resolve the opioid epidemic?

Opioid overdose found to be most common cause of pregnancy-associated death in new moms

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

Meth vs. opioids: America has two drug epidemics, but focuses on one

Research on Reddit identifies risks associated with unproven treatments for opioid addiction

SLU researcher wins NIH grant to identify risk factors for opioid-related depression

Filled opioid prescriptions are relatively rare in Medicaid-enrolled children, finds study

New quality improvement tool shows signs of improved care of opioid-exposed newborns

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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