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.

Clinicians may have to look beyond opioids to tackle nation’s substance use epidemic

Overcoming the nation's opioid epidemic will require clinicians to look beyond opioids, new research from Oregon Health & Science University suggests.

28 Aug 2020

New algorithm can help spot illicit online pharmacies

Consumers are expected to spend more than $100 billion at online pharmacies in the next few years, but not all of these businesses are legitimate.

28 Aug 2020

Scientists discover possible biomarkers for detecting opioid use disorder during pregnancy

Scientists at the University of Missouri have discovered possible biological markers that they hope could one day help identify the presence of an opioid use disorder during human pregnancy.

26 Aug 2020

Higher dosage of opioids for outpatient knee surgery is linked to increased risk of overdose death

A new study published in BMJ Open found that opioid prescription rates for outpatient knee surgery vary widely across the country, but the strength of the average prescription in the United States is at a level that has been linked to an increased risk of overdose death.

26 Aug 2020

Research shows nonprescribed fentanyl and stimulants were the major cause for overdose mortality

Nonprescribed fentanyl and stimulants were the primary contributors to overdose mortality, while few people had prescribed opioids in their systems, according to new toxicology research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

24 Aug 2020

Study reveals important trends in early COVID-19 patients in Massachusetts

Data from the first COVID-19 patients treated at three large Massachusetts hospitals reveal important trends, including disproportionate representation of vulnerable populations, high rates of disease-related complications, and the need for post-discharge, post-acute care and monitoring.

19 Aug 2020

Antidepressants are not designed for dementia, shows study

Nearly three-quarters of older adults with dementia have filled prescriptions for medicines that act on their brain and nervous system, but aren't designed for dementia, a new study shows.

19 Aug 2020

Opioid use in women trying to conceive linked with lower chance of pregnancy

Opioid use among women trying to conceive may be associated with a lower chance of pregnancy, suggests a National Institutes of Health study. Moreover, opioid use in early pregnancy may be associated with a greater chance of pregnancy loss.

18 Aug 2020

Other forms of treatments are as effective as opioids for acute musculoskeletal injuries

Two new evidence reviews related to acute musculoskeletal injuries like strains and sprains suggest other forms of treatments are as effective as opioids and have less risk of harms to patients.

18 Aug 2020

Back-pain patients taking opioid painkillers produce anti-opioid antibodies

University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists have discovered that a majority of back-pain patients they tested who were taking opioid painkillers produced anti-opioid antibodies.

17 Aug 2020

Patients face challenges in getting treatment for opioid addictions

Women are having a difficult time getting into treatment for opioid addictions, according to a Vanderbilt University Medical Center study published today in JAMA Network Open.

14 Aug 2020

Women often prescribed excessive opioids after childbirth, research reveals

Excessive opioid prescriptions following childbirth may lead to higher rates of addiction within communities, according to a new report in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.

12 Aug 2020

Updated clinical practice guidelines for managing mucositis published

Updated clinical practice guidelines for managing mucositis, a very common and often debilitating complication of cancer therapy, was recently published in the journal Cancer.

11 Aug 2020

Opioid risk is higher for patients transitioning to skilled nursing facilities

Hospital patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities often bring a high-dose painkiller prescription with them, suggesting more attention should be paid to opioid safety for those patients, research from the Oregon State University College of Pharmacy shows.

11 Aug 2020

First-time opioid prescriptions may lead to substance-related problems later in life

Young adults and adolescents who are prescribed opioids for the first time may be at a slightly greater risk of developing a substance-related problem later in life, according to a new study co-authored by Indiana University researchers.

11 Aug 2020

Opioid initiation risk in young adults, adolescents may not be as high as previously thought

10 Aug 2020

Maternal cannabis use in pregnancy linked to increased risk of autism in children

In the largest study of its kind, Ottawa researchers found that children whose mothers reported using cannabis during pregnancy were at greater risk of autism.

10 Aug 2020

Researchers identify new treatment for osteoarthritis

The study results revolve around the long-established idea that machines within animal and human cells turn the sugars, fats, and proteins we eat into energy used by the body's millions of cells.

10 Aug 2020

FDA approves opioid agonist for management of moderate to severe acute pain in adults

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Olinvyk (oliceridine), an opioid agonist for the management of moderate to severe acute pain in adults, where the pain is severe enough to require an intravenous opioid and for whom alternative treatments are inadequate.

9 Aug 2020

New protocol reduces opioid use following surgery

The majority of patients who followed an "Enhanced Recovery After Surgery" (ERAS) protocol did not need opioids for pain management at multiple time points following elective spinal and peripheral nerve surgery.

6 Aug 2020

Opioids News and Research

Further Reading

Clinicians may have to look beyond opioids to tackle nation’s substance use epidemic

New algorithm can help spot illicit online pharmacies

Scientists discover possible biomarkers for detecting opioid use disorder during pregnancy

Higher dosage of opioids for outpatient knee surgery is linked to increased risk of overdose death

Research shows nonprescribed fentanyl and stimulants were the major cause for overdose mortality

Study reveals important trends in early COVID-19 patients in Massachusetts

Antidepressants are not designed for dementia, shows study

Opioid use in women trying to conceive linked with lower chance of pregnancy

Other forms of treatments are as effective as opioids for acute musculoskeletal injuries

Back-pain patients taking opioid painkillers produce anti-opioid antibodies

Patients face challenges in getting treatment for opioid addictions

Women often prescribed excessive opioids after childbirth, research reveals

Updated clinical practice guidelines for managing mucositis published

Opioid risk is higher for patients transitioning to skilled nursing facilities

First-time opioid prescriptions may lead to substance-related problems later in life

Opioid initiation risk in young adults, adolescents may not be as high as previously thought

Maternal cannabis use in pregnancy linked to increased risk of autism in children

Researchers identify new treatment for osteoarthritis

FDA approves opioid agonist for management of moderate to severe acute pain in adults

New protocol reduces opioid use following surgery

Event guide: The Non-Opioid Pain Therapeutics Summit eBook

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