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.

Study finds rates of new persistent opioid use among women after vaginal or cesarean delivery

Nearly half of American women having a baby in the last decade received a prescription for a powerful opioid painkiller as part of their birth experience, a new study shows.

27 Jul 2019

UChicago awarded $17 million grant to tackle opioid addiction in criminal justice settings

It's estimated that more than 130 people die every day from opioid-related drug overdoses. Particularly at risk are people transitioning through the criminal justice system, many of whom may already be struggling with complex issues spanning mental health, family instability and job and housing insecurity.

26 Jul 2019

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Cue the drug price debate

The Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate Finance Committee this week unveiled a sweeping proposal that seeks to lower prescription drug prices for the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

25 Jul 2019

Researchers harness the pain-relieving properties of cannabis to develop new pain killers

The cannabis plant produces pain-relieving molecules that are 30x more effective than aspirin. Researchers are now working on a plant-based pain killer.

25 Jul 2019

Why cilantro (coriander) is good for your health

Scientists have uncovered the molecular action through which the herb cilantro delays the onset of certain seizures in epilepsy and other diseases.

25 Jul 2019

Study finds higher opioid prescribing rates in the U.S. compared to other countries

Physicians in the United States may prescribe opioids more frequently to patients during hospitalization and at discharge when compared to their physician peers in other countries, according to a recently published study led by researchers from the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

24 Jul 2019

Federal suit alleges ‘staggering’ urine drug testing fraud at Tennessee pain clinics

The Justice Department on Monday accused a defunct chain of Tennessee-based pain clinics of cheating Medicare and other taxpayer-funded health insurers out of at least $25 million in needless urine drug tests and genetic testing.

23 Jul 2019

Injuries leading to at least a week off of work increases suicide risk

A study co-authored by Boston University School of Public Health researchers and published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine finds that an injury serious enough to lead to at least a week off of work almost triples the combined risk of suicide and overdose death among women, and increases the risk by 50 percent among men.

23 Jul 2019

Change in care protocol of weight-reduction operations exceeds its desired effect

A change in the care protocol of patients undergoing weight-reduction operations exceeded its desired effect by cutting postoperative hospital stays in half, reducing postoperative hospital readmissions by 38 percent, and reducing the amount of opioids the patients were sent home with by 95 percent, according to study results from a large bariatric and metabolic surgery center in Charleston, S.C.

23 Jul 2019

Online pain and mood symptom self-management works better when coupled with clinician telecare

Pain is the most common physical symptom for which adults seek medical attention in the United States, while anxiety and depression are the most common mental health symptoms for which adults visit a doctor. Drugs, especially opioids, may not be the only or best therapy.

22 Jul 2019

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Biden doubles down on Obamacare

Former Vice President Joe Biden has said if he's elected president he would build on the Affordable Care Act rather than move to a whole new health care system, such as the "Medicare for All" plan supported by some of his primary opponents for the Democratic nomination.

19 Jul 2019

Adolescents using multiple sources for prescription drugs at high risk for substance use disorders

Roughly 11% of high school seniors reported prescription drug misuse during the past year, and of those, 44% used multiple supply sources, according to a pair of University of Michigan studies.

18 Jul 2019

Over 1 million years of life lost in Ohio from overdose deaths, shows study

The drug addiction epidemic continues to plague the country, and thousands of lives are cut short each year due to overdose.

18 Jul 2019

Opioid overdose deaths on the decline says CDC but the real picture may still be grim

The opioid epidemic began in the 1990s with hundreds of deaths occurring each year due to overdose of these drugs of abuse. According to the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), for the first time in two decades, there has been a drop of 5 percent in the opioid overdose deaths in 2018.

17 Jul 2019

Family members' drugs may be risk factor for overdose in individuals without prescriptions

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioid overdoses were responsible for more than 42,000 deaths in 2016.

17 Jul 2019

Addressing patients' mental and emotional distress after surgery

With the advancement of technology and medicine, G. Michael Deeb, M.D., a cardiac surgeon at Michigan Medicine, says society is used to, and expects, instant solutions to their pain after medical procedures. This has resulted in an increased demand for narcotics, as well as their over usage.

17 Jul 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

Patients taking opioids for chronic pain could face health care access problems

Finding a new doctor for health checkups and general care can pose a challenge to anyone. But for people who take prescription opioid pills for their chronic pain, it might be far harder, according to a new study.

14 Jul 2019

New network for children and youth with special health care needs seeks to improve systems of care

A new research network for children and youth with special health care needs, led by researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Children's Hospital Colorado and Boston Children's Hospital, will lead, promote and coordinate national research activities to improve their systems of care.

12 Jul 2019

Patients treated with NSAIDs use less opioids

Patients receiving a post-surgery prescription of ibuprofen with a rescue prescription of Percocet used less opioids than a group of similar patients who were prescribed just Percocet.

12 Jul 2019

Opioids News and Research

Further Reading

Study finds rates of new persistent opioid use among women after vaginal or cesarean delivery

UChicago awarded $17 million grant to tackle opioid addiction in criminal justice settings

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Cue the drug price debate

Researchers harness the pain-relieving properties of cannabis to develop new pain killers

Why cilantro (coriander) is good for your health

Study finds higher opioid prescribing rates in the U.S. compared to other countries

Federal suit alleges ‘staggering’ urine drug testing fraud at Tennessee pain clinics

Injuries leading to at least a week off of work increases suicide risk

Change in care protocol of weight-reduction operations exceeds its desired effect

Online pain and mood symptom self-management works better when coupled with clinician telecare

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Biden doubles down on Obamacare

Adolescents using multiple sources for prescription drugs at high risk for substance use disorders

Over 1 million years of life lost in Ohio from overdose deaths, shows study

Opioid overdose deaths on the decline says CDC but the real picture may still be grim

Family members' drugs may be risk factor for overdose in individuals without prescriptions

Addressing patients' mental and emotional distress after surgery

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

Patients taking opioids for chronic pain could face health care access problems

New network for children and youth with special health care needs seeks to improve systems of care

Patients treated with NSAIDs use less opioids

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