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.

Researchers use machine learning to identify illegal selling of opioids on Twitter

Using advanced machine learning, a cross disciplinary team of University of California San Diego researchers developed technology that mined Twitter to identify entities illegally selling prescription opioids online.

25 Oct 2017

Pre-clinical study reports promising step forward in search for non-addictive painkillers

A pre-clinical study led by Indiana University scientists reports a promising step forward in the search for pain relief methods without the addictive side effects behind the country's current opioid addiction crisis.

25 Oct 2017

New survey finds huge decline in substance abuse, delinquency among teens

More than a decade of data indicates teens have become far less likely to abuse alcohol, nicotine and illicit drugs, and they also are less likely to engage in delinquent behaviors, such as fighting and stealing, according to results of a national survey analyzed by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

25 Oct 2017

Bariatric surgical patients may be vulnerable to opioid dependence

Nearly 9 percent of bariatric surgical patients--or about one in 12--who did not take opioid pain medications until their weight-loss operation, or the month before it, report that they are still using prescription opioids one year postoperatively, according to new research findings.

24 Oct 2017

Opioid-free anesthesia reduces postoperative nausea, study finds

Opioid-free general anesthesia is safe, effective and dramatically decreases postoperative nausea, according to a single-center study of more than 1,000 patients being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2017 annual meeting.

24 Oct 2017

Research finds decrease in opioid use among patients recovering from hip and knee replacement

Opioid use in patients recovering from hip and knee replacement decreased by one-third between 2006 and 2014, reflecting success in efforts to promote a multimodal approach to pain management (using a variety of methods to manage pain) rather than using opioids alone, reveals new research being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2017 annual meeting.

23 Oct 2017

HCV screening or diagnosis could lower non‐prescribed opioid use

Research presented this week at The Liver Meeting – held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases – shows people in treatment for opioid substance abuse significantly lowered their non‐prescribed opioid use after testing positive for hepatitis C virus.

20 Oct 2017

New study shows possibility of battling opioid addiction in primary care

For many of the 2 million Americans addicted to opioids, getting good treatment and getting off prescription painkillers or heroin may seem like a far-off dream.

17 Oct 2017

New online tool offers opioid prescribing recommendations after surgery

How many prescription pain pills should a patient receive after breast cancer surgery? Or a hernia repair? Or a gallbladder removal?

16 Oct 2017

MTSA expands efforts to fight against national opioid epidemic

Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia announced it is expanding efforts to educate Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists on treatment options that reduce or eliminate the need for opioids during and after surgery.

13 Oct 2017

Medicare plans place few restrictions on coverage of prescription opioids, Yale study finds

Medicare plans place few restrictions on the coverage of prescription opioids, despite federal guidelines recommending such restrictions, a new Yale study finds. The research results highlight an untapped opportunity for Medicare formularies to limit opioid prescribing, the researchers said.

10 Oct 2017

Study: Topical analgesics may provide effective, safe treatment alternative to opioids

Clarity Science, a division of Safe Harbor Compliance and Clinical Services LLC, report results of the Institutional Review Board- approved Optimizing Patient Experience and Response to Topical Analgesics Study which evaluated patients with chronic pain who were treated with topical analgesics.

5 Oct 2017

NIH-funded study to evaluate treatment options for newborns with opioid withdrawal syndrome

The National Institutes of Health is funding a new study to evaluate treatment options for newborns with opioid withdrawal syndrome, a condition caused by exposure to opioids during pregnancy.

3 Oct 2017

Study suggests optimal length of opioid pain prescriptions for common surgical procedures

Findings from an analysis that included more than 200,000 patients who underwent common surgical procedures suggests that the optimal length of opioid pain prescriptions is four to nine days for general surgery procedures, four to 13 days for women's health procedures, and six to15 days for musculoskeletal procedures, according to a study published by JAMA Surgery.

28 Sep 2017

Study uncovers disturbing trends in prescribing opioids for nonmalignant chronic pain

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 90 Americans die every day by overdosing on opioids. While heroin and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl account for part of the crisis, in 2015 about 2 million people in the U.S. suffered from substance use disorders related to prescription opioid pain relievers.

27 Sep 2017

Emergency departments write shorter duration and smaller-dose opioid prescriptions, study shows

Opioid prescriptions from the emergency department are written for a shorter duration and smaller dose than those written elsewhere, shows new research led by Mayo Clinic.

26 Sep 2017

Emergency patients who are prescribed opioids less likely to become long-term users

Compared to other medical settings, emergency patients who are prescribed opioids for the first time in the emergency department are less likely to become long-term users and more likely to be prescribed these powerful painkillers in accordance with The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

26 Sep 2017

Operation Pangea X takes action against illegal medicines sold online

Various authorities from 123 different countries including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are taking action against numerous small businesses that are illegally selling medicines over the internet according to an official statement yesterday.

26 Sep 2017

FDA participates in major global operation to target illegal prescription drugs sold online

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in partnership with international regulatory and law enforcement agencies, recently took action against more than 500 websites that illegally sell potentially dangerous, unapproved versions of prescription medicines, including opioids, antibiotics and injectable epinephrine products to American consumers.

25 Sep 2017

Opioid epidemic likely applies to high-risk dialysis population, study shows

A new analysis indicates that the US opioid epidemic likely applies to the unique population of dialysis patients. The study, which appears in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, also found links between higher opioid drug prescription and increased risks of dialysis discontinuation, hospitalization, and early death.

22 Sep 2017

Opioids News and Research

Further Reading

Researchers use machine learning to identify illegal selling of opioids on Twitter

Pre-clinical study reports promising step forward in search for non-addictive painkillers

New survey finds huge decline in substance abuse, delinquency among teens

Bariatric surgical patients may be vulnerable to opioid dependence

Opioid-free anesthesia reduces postoperative nausea, study finds

Research finds decrease in opioid use among patients recovering from hip and knee replacement

HCV screening or diagnosis could lower non‐prescribed opioid use

New study shows possibility of battling opioid addiction in primary care

New online tool offers opioid prescribing recommendations after surgery

MTSA expands efforts to fight against national opioid epidemic

Medicare plans place few restrictions on coverage of prescription opioids, Yale study finds

Study: Topical analgesics may provide effective, safe treatment alternative to opioids

NIH-funded study to evaluate treatment options for newborns with opioid withdrawal syndrome

Study suggests optimal length of opioid pain prescriptions for common surgical procedures

Study uncovers disturbing trends in prescribing opioids for nonmalignant chronic pain

Emergency departments write shorter duration and smaller-dose opioid prescriptions, study shows

Emergency patients who are prescribed opioids less likely to become long-term users

Operation Pangea X takes action against illegal medicines sold online

FDA participates in major global operation to target illegal prescription drugs sold online

Opioid epidemic likely applies to high-risk dialysis population, study shows

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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