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.

Optum Rx invokes open meetings law to fight Kentucky counties on opioid suits

UnitedHealth Group's multibillion-dollar pharmacy benefit manager, Optum Rx, is suing five Kentucky counties in an attempt to force them out of national opioid litigation against the company.

20 Aug 2025

Off-label ketamine use for chronic pain lacks scientific basis

The off-label use of ketamine to treat chronic pain is not supported by scientific evidence, a new Cochrane review has found.

18 Aug 2025

Pregabalin raises heart failure risk in older adults compared to gabapentin, study finds

A large Medicare cohort study found that older adults prescribed pregabalin had a significantly higher risk of developing heart failure compared to those prescribed gabapentin. The elevated risk was most pronounced in individuals with pre-existing cardiovascular disease, especially women and White patients.

13 Aug 2025

Understanding opioid safety and overdose prevention for older adults

With increasing age, older adults are more likely to encounter health conditions and injuries that require opioid therapy for pain relief.

13 Aug 2025

Adolescents show lower rates of nonmedical ADHD drug use

Despite concerns about increased stimulant prescribing, nonmedical use of ADHD drugs among adolescents has declined in the last 20 years, a University of Michigan study shows.

6 Aug 2025

Australian study finds lasting relief for back pain through cognitive functional therapy

Australian research has shown that a personalized program that helps people with chronic, disabling low back pain better understand their condition and take charge of its management produces large benefits that are sustained over three years.

5 Aug 2025

New analgesic shows promise as opioid alternative

Opioids like morphine are widely used in medical practice due to their powerful pain-relieving effects. However, they carry the risk of serious adverse effects such as respiratory depression and drug dependence.

4 Aug 2025

Deadly opioid contaminants uncovered in Adelaide street drug supply

A synthetic opioid 1000 times more potent than morphine is infiltrating the street drug trade in Adelaide, Australia, sparking fears of a wave of overdoses that could be lethal.

1 Aug 2025

Study examines how often adults with opioid use disorder begin and stay on treatment

Opioid use disorder (OUD) medication treatment saves lives, yet fewer than one-third of people with OUD receive evidence-based treatment with medication.

29 Jul 2025

Novel DNA plasmid therapy shows high success rate in treating chronic pain in dogs

Elenagen™, a novel DNA plasmid therapy that previously demonstrated high clinical benefit and low toxicity in cancer patients, has now shown significant promise in alleviating chronic pain demonstrating a 90% success rate.

23 Jul 2025

Opioid prescriptions remain higher in poorer Canadian communities

Despite an overall decline in prescribed opioid use in Canada over the past decade, a recent study found that people in poorer areas receive three times the prescriptions for opioids than those in wealthier areas.

17 Jul 2025

Stimulant use quietly drives rise in opioid-related deaths

Many people might be aware of an ongoing opioid epidemic, with thousands of people dying every year from overdoses.

16 Jul 2025

Exploring the changing intensity of opioid use

Illegal opioids can create substantial harms, but the extent of those harms depends on multiple factors, including the amount consumed.

16 Jul 2025

Who’s policing opioid settlement spending? A crowdsourced database might help

After years of legal battles, state attorneys general won billions of dollars in opioid settlements from drug companies accused of fueling the addiction crisis. They declared victory at press conferences, and some touted the deals during their gubernatorial campaigns.

11 Jul 2025

Frequent gabapentin use linked to higher dementia and cognitive impairment risk

Receiving six or more prescriptions of the drug gabapentin for low back pain is associated with significantly increased risks of developing dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI)--29% and 85%, respectively-finds a large medical records study published online in the journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.

10 Jul 2025

Most Medicaid plans cover naloxone but barriers still exist

A new study found that almost all plans in 40 states and Washington, DC covered at least one form of the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone, although certain restrictions and quantity limits may still prevent people from accessing this life-saving drug.

27 Jun 2025

Synthetic opioids and designer benzodiazepines linked to driving impairment

No-one could claim to be unaware of the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs (DUID): drugs can increase the time needed to react, impair coordination, alertness, and cognition, and lower inhibitions, thus encouraging reckless and aggressive driving.

25 Jun 2025

Flexible wireless implant offers hope for chronic pain sufferers

Chronic pain is a debilitating condition that severely impacts quality of life, often leading to reliance on opioid medications with their severe side effects and addiction risks.

24 Jun 2025

New toolkit aims to transform opioid education through patient collaboration

It's difficult to overstate the corrosive impact of Canada's ongoing opioid crisis. Since 2016, there have been over 40,000 opioid-related deaths across the country, devastating Canadian families from all walks of life. Opioid-related hospitalizations and calls to paramedics have ballooned.

20 Jun 2025

Rural Americans face higher risk of chronic pain than urban residents

A new study from The University of Texas at Arlington reveals that people who live in rural areas are more likely to have chronic pain than those in urban settings.

17 Jun 2025