Opioids News and Research

RSS

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.

The ethics of nanobiotechnology: A call for global regulation

Prosthetics moved by thoughts. Targeted treatments for aggressive brain cancer. Soldiers with enhanced vision or bionic ears.

13 Jul 2023

The American Journal of Health Economics articles examine policies to address opioid crisis

The August 2023 issue of the American Journal of Health Economics will feature a cluster of articles that examine the opioid crisis.

10 Jul 2023

Meet the people deciding how to spend $50 billion in opioid settlement cash

As more than $50 billion makes its way to state and local governments to compensate for the opioid epidemic, people with high hopes for the money are already fighting over a little-known bureaucratic arm of the process: state councils that wield immense power over how the cash is spent.

10 Jul 2023

Medical cannabis laws have no effect on opioid prescriptions, study finds

State laws allowing medical cannabis use did not reduce prescriptions for opioids or other therapies for chronic, non-cancer pain, according to a policy analysis by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

5 Jul 2023

Regular cannabis users more likely to experience postoperative complications, study finds

People who are regular cannabis users are at an increased risk of experiencing complications before, during, and after surgery, according to a study by researchers with UTHealth Houston published today in JAMA Surgery.

5 Jul 2023

Breaking the myth: opioids provide no advantage for acute back pain, study finds

The first placebo-controlled trial of opioids in acute low back and neck pain.

3 Jul 2023

Trial shows no benefit of prescribing an opioid for people with acute back or neck pain

Opioid pain-relieving medicines are not more effective than a placebo in relieving acute back and neck pain and may even cause harm, according to a world-first trial led by the University of Sydney.

28 Jun 2023

Opioid overdose deaths may be reduced by increasing access to prescription opioid painkillers

Increasing access to prescription opioid painkillers may reduce opioid overdose deaths in the United States, according to a Rutgers study.

27 Jun 2023

The DEA relaxed online prescribing rules during covid. Now it wants to rein them in.

Federal regulators want most patients to see a health care provider in person before receiving prescriptions for potentially addictive medicines through telehealth — something that hasn't been required in more than three years.

27 Jun 2023

Research unveils crucial insights into the brain's potential ability to regulate fentanyl consumption

The opioid crisis continues to pose a grave public health concern, with synthetic opioids such as fentanyl posing a major risk for development of addiction and death due to overdose.

26 Jun 2023

Race- and gender-specific interventions may be more effective at preventing overdose deaths

Interventions to address stimulant and opioid use that consider race and gender may prove more effective at preventing overdose deaths than current methods, according to a Penn State-led team of researchers who studied how drug treatment admissions and overdose deaths differed among race and gender.

26 Jun 2023

Localize this: Public reporting of opioid settlement cash

State and local governments will, over the next nearly two decades, receive billions of dollars from companies accused of sparking the opioid epidemic.

26 Jun 2023

Experts release new guidelines for safe opioid deprescribing in Australia

Australian and international experts have released 11 recommendations on when, how, and in what situation it may be appropriate for clinicians to reduce opioid use, by placing the patient at the center of the equation.

25 Jun 2023

AHA awards $20 million to address health challenges in rural communities

People who live in rural areas of the U.S. are 40% more likely to develop heart disease and have a 30% higher risk of stroke than people who live in urban areas, according to data reported in the 2020 Call to Action: Rural Health: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association.

23 Jun 2023

PMC to improve potential alternative pain management treatments for NFL players

The National Football League and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) announced today they are awarding a grant to Emory University researchers to study innovative, first-of-their-kind, alternative pain management methods that could benefit NFL players and society at large.

23 Jun 2023

Xylazine can exacerbate the life-threatening effects of opioids, rat study shows

A new study in rats suggests that xylazine, the active ingredient in a non-opioid veterinary tranquilizer not approved for human use, can worsen the life-threatening effects of opioids.

21 Jun 2023

Opioid settlement payouts to localities made public for first time

Thousands of local governments nationwide are receiving settlement money from companies that made, sold, or distributed opioid painkillers, like Johnson & Johnson, AmerisourceBergen, and Walmart.

16 Jun 2023

Overly restricting opioid use during surgery may be doing more harm than good

Because of the opioid crisis, physicians are less likely to administer opioids to help manage patients' pain, even in the operating room.

15 Jun 2023

Study reveals sharp increase in hospital encounters for benzodiazepine-related toxicity among youth

The rate of hospital encounters for benzodiazepine-related toxicity rose by 67 per cent for young adults (aged 19 to 24) and 44 per cent for youth (aged 18 or below) in Ontario between 2013 and 2020, according to a new study from ICES and Unity Health Toronto.

15 Jun 2023

Males are significantly more vulnerable than females to overdose deaths

Men were significantly more vulnerable than women to overdose deaths involving opioid and stimulant drugs in 2020-2021, according to a new study analyzing death records data from across the United States. The study found that men had a 2–3 times greater rate of overdose mortality from opioids (like fentanyl and heroin) and psychostimulants (like methamphetamine and cocaine).

15 Jun 2023

Opioids News and Research

Further Reading

The ethics of nanobiotechnology: A call for global regulation

The American Journal of Health Economics articles examine policies to address opioid crisis

Meet the people deciding how to spend $50 billion in opioid settlement cash

Medical cannabis laws have no effect on opioid prescriptions, study finds

Regular cannabis users more likely to experience postoperative complications, study finds

Breaking the myth: opioids provide no advantage for acute back pain, study finds

Trial shows no benefit of prescribing an opioid for people with acute back or neck pain

Opioid overdose deaths may be reduced by increasing access to prescription opioid painkillers

The DEA relaxed online prescribing rules during covid. Now it wants to rein them in.

Research unveils crucial insights into the brain's potential ability to regulate fentanyl consumption

Race- and gender-specific interventions may be more effective at preventing overdose deaths

Localize this: Public reporting of opioid settlement cash

Experts release new guidelines for safe opioid deprescribing in Australia

AHA awards $20 million to address health challenges in rural communities

PMC to improve potential alternative pain management treatments for NFL players

Xylazine can exacerbate the life-threatening effects of opioids, rat study shows

Opioid settlement payouts to localities made public for first time

Overly restricting opioid use during surgery may be doing more harm than good

Study reveals sharp increase in hospital encounters for benzodiazepine-related toxicity among youth

Males are significantly more vulnerable than females to overdose deaths

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Latest News