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.

WSU pharmacologists find hyperbaric oxygen therapy can alleviate opiate withdrawal symptoms

Washington State University researchers have found that treatments of pure oxygen in a high-pressure chamber can relieve the symptoms of opiate withdrawal.

31 Aug 2016

Research provides insight into link between chronic pain and anxiety

New research provides insight into a long-observed, but little-understood connection between chronic pain and anxiety and offers a potential target for treatment.

31 Aug 2016

Novel compound provides safe, effective pain relief with zero abuse potential in animal model

Since the isolation of morphine from opium in the 19th century, scientists have hoped to find a potent opioid analgesic that isn't addictive and doesn't cause respiratory arrest with increased doses.

30 Aug 2016

DWC on target to implement workers' compensation drug formulary by July 2017

The Department of Industrial Relations' Division of Workers' Compensation (DIR/DWC) is on target to implement a workers' compensation drug formulary by July of next year as required by Assembly Bill 1124.

27 Aug 2016

New drug target could help prevent opioid tolerance and addiction

Researchers have identified a brain mechanism that could be a drug target to help prevent tolerance and addiction to opioid pain medication, such as morphine, according to a study by Georgia State University and Emory University.

23 Aug 2016

Opioid naive individuals at low risk of developing persistent opioid use after surgery, research shows

Researchers from the University Health Network's Department of Anesthesia and Pain Management and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences have determined that patients who have not had an opioid prescription within a year prior to their procedure are at low risk of developing persistent opioid use after major surgery.

11 Aug 2016

New study suggests increased levels of hypocretin in the brain may play role in cocaine addiction

A new study from scientists at The Scripps Research Institute, funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, suggests that increased levels of a molecule in the brain, called hypocretin, may contribute to cocaine addiction.

10 Aug 2016

Study finds racial-ethnic disparities in emergency department opioid prescription for pain-related conditions

Dr. Astha Singhal, Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research at Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, published a study that found a racial disparity in opioid prescriptions for emergency department visits for non-definitive pain-related conditions.

9 Aug 2016

European Union may be catching up to the United States in nonmedical prescription drug abuse

There is a high rate of prescription pain reliever abuse in Europe, largely accounted by opioids, according to the first comparative study of prescription drug abuse in the European Union, which was conducted by researchers at RTI International and published in BMC Psychiatry.

5 Aug 2016

Study finds high rate of misuse of seizure and pain drug

With increasing public attention to overdose deaths and misuse of prescription medications in the United States, researchers today presented the results of a new study looking at abuse and misuse of gabapentin, a medication used to treat seizures and relieve nerve pain often associated with shingles.

3 Aug 2016

NABP report points rogue internet drug outlets serve as dealers to people purchasing controlled substances

Today, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) released its Internet Drug Outlet Identification Program Progress Report for State and Federal Regulators: July 2016.

30 Jul 2016

Majority of American adults use prescription drugs inappropriately and dangerously

The majority of American adults taking opioids and other commonly prescribed medications use them in ways that put their health at risk, including potentially dangerous combinations with other drugs, according to a new study from Quest Diagnostics, the world’s leading provider of diagnostic information services.

From Quest Diagnostics 29 Jul 2016

New non-drug approach may help manage pain in individuals receiving addiction treatment

It's a Catch-22 with potentially deadly consequences: People trying to overcome addiction can't get treatment for their pain, because the most powerful pain medicines also carry an addiction risk.

27 Jul 2016

FDA-approved nerve ablation procedure may offer new treatment option for low back pain

It's the most common reason people go to their doctors - back pain. According to the National Institutes of Health, 80 percent of adults will experience low back pain some time in their lives.

27 Jul 2016

Adults with pain could be at higher risk of developing prescription opioid use disorders

What do we really know about the relationship between the experience of pain and risk of developing opioid use disorder? Results from a recent study - the first to directly address this question -- show that people with moderate or more severe pain had a 41 percent higher risk of developing prescription opioid use disorders than those without, independent of other demographic and clinical factors.

22 Jul 2016

Patients with cLBP more likely to use illicit drugs, study reports

People living with chronic low back pain (cLBP) are more likely to use illicit drugs -- including marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine -- compared to those without back pain, reports a study in Spine, published by Wolters Kluwer.

21 Jul 2016

Study examines link between craving and glutamate levels in the brain of patients with AUDs

Craving consists of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral elements related to a desire to drink alcohol, and can be experienced during intoxication, withdrawal, and/or prior to relapse.

21 Jul 2016

Buprenorphine implants could be effective option to treat adults with opioid dependence

While buprenorphine has long been used to treat adults with opioid dependence, its efficacy can be hindered by lack of adherence to daily, sublingual (beneath the tongue) doses of the medication.

19 Jul 2016

Parental substance use increases health risks among children

Children whose parents or caregivers misuse alcohol or use, produce or distribute drugs face an increased risk of medical and behavioral problems. According to a new clinical report by experts at Beth Israel Medical Center and Boston Children's Hospital, pediatricians are in a unique position to assess risk and intervene to protect children.

18 Jul 2016

New opioid use among older adults with COPD linked to increased risk for respiratory-related death

Older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who start using opioids have a more than two-fold higher risk of dying from a respiratory-related complication compared to non-opioid users, St. Michael's Hospital researchers have found.

14 Jul 2016