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Review outlines effective approaches to reduce recurrent hepatic encephalopathy

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a neurologic complication of advanced liver disease, causing impaired functioning, reduced quality of life (QOL), and increased hospitalisation and mortality.

31 Jul 2026

Maker of device to treat addiction withdrawal seeks counties’ opioid settlement cash

In the early 2000s, Michelle Warfield worked at a factory, hauling heavy seats for Ford trucks on and off an assembly line. To suppress daily aches in her back and hips, her doctor prescribed opioid painkillers.

18 Mar 2026

ADHD prescriptions surged during the COVID-19 pandemic

A study reveals COVID-19 reshaped stimulant prescribing patterns in Ontario, highlighting increased ADHD diagnoses and concerns over treatment appropriateness.

11 Mar 2026

Substance use among healthcare workers linked to poorer patient care

Their job is to protect, promote, and restore human health and lives, but healthcare workers believe that their own use of alcohol and illegal drugs reduces the quality of care they provide to patients.

3 Mar 2026

Gene therapy breakthrough could provide hope for millions living with chronic pain

A preclinical study uncovered a new gene therapy that targets pain centers in the brain while eliminating the risk of addiction from narcotics treatments, a breakthrough which could provide hope for the more than 50 million Americans living with chronic pain.

7 Jan 2026

Study finds sharp rise in prescriptions for stimulant medications used to treat ADHD

A new Ontario-based study has found a significant rise in prescriptions for stimulant medications used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), particularly among adults and females.

11 Dec 2025

Take-home methadone provides a lifesaving bridge to recovery after hospitalization

For patients recovering from opioid use disorder, particularly from drugs like fentanyl or heroin, the days immediately following a hospital stay are among the most dangerous.

22 Nov 2025

LabVantage Solutions awarded $22.3 million U.S. customs and border protection contract to deliver next-generation forensic LIMS

LabVantage Solutions, Inc., a global provider of laboratory informatics solutions and services, today announced it has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection (CBP) valued at up to $22.3 million over ten years. The agreement supports modernization of the agency's Forensic Laboratory Information Management System (FLIMS) to advance scientific and forensic operations that underpin U.S. border security and trade enforcement.

From LabVantage Solutions 12 Nov 2025

From street to lab: Advancing controlled substance testing with handheld Raman and FTIR

Discover how Thermo Fisher’s handheld Raman and lab FTIR tools are transforming controlled substance testing with safer, faster, and more reliable results.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific – Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Solutions 14 Oct 2025

Prescription drug misuse rates higher among adults with disabilities

Adults with disabilities are nearly twice as likely to misuse prescription drugs as adults without disabilities, according to West Virginia University research.

4 Mar 2025

Pain clinics made millions from ‘unnecessary’ injections into ‘human pin cushions’

Each month, Michelle Shaw went to a pain clinic to get the shots that made her back feel worse — so she could get the pills that made her back feel better.

18 Feb 2025

Study highlights the growing crisis of methamphetamine-related deaths in the U.S.

Methamphetamine deaths in the U.S. rose 61-fold from 1999 to 2021, according to a new study, highlighting a growing crisis in addiction and public health.

13 Jan 2025

Smartphone app enhances retention and reduces opioid use in patients

Patients with opioid use disorder can reduce their days of opioid use and stay in treatment longer when using a smartphone app as supportive therapy in combination with medication, a new study by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) shows.

30 Dec 2024

How are states spending opioid settlement cash? We built a database of answers

In the past few years, state and local governments across the U.S. have begun spending billions in opioid settlements paid by companies accused of fueling the overdose crisis. But where is that money going, who is getting it, and is it doing any good?

16 Dec 2024

Structural and functional brain changes found in individuals with opioid use disorder

Researchers at the Yale School of Medicine found structural and functional alterations in specific brain regions of individuals with opioid use disorder.

10 Dec 2024

Poppy seed brew triggers morphine overdose, drawing attention of lawmakers

It sounds like a joke: poppy seeds infused with opioids. Indeed, it was a plotline on the sitcom Seinfeld. But for some it has been a tragedy.

9 Oct 2024

Endoscopic spine surgery reduces opioid use and postoperative pain

An emerging type of minimally invasive spine surgery reduces the use of pain medication in patients' recovery compared to those who undergo other less minimally invasive spine surgery, which use larger incisions that result in more postoperative pain, according to a study published in World Neurosurgery in September.

20 Sep 2024

Cannabis and hallucinogen use stayed at historically high among adults in 2023

The percentages of adults using cannabis and hallucinogens over the past year stayed at historically high levels in 2023, according to the latest findings from the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future survey.

29 Aug 2024

Lifesaving drugs and police projects mark first use of opioid settlement cash in California

Sonja Verdugo lost her husband to an opioid overdose last year. She regularly delivers medical supplies to people using drugs who are living — and dying — on the streets of Los Angeles. And she advocates at Los Angeles City Hall for policies to address addiction and homelessness.

12 Jul 2024

Pain doesn’t belong on a scale of zero to 10

Over the past two years, a simple but baffling request has preceded most of my encounters with medical professionals: "Rate your pain on a scale of zero to 10."

2 Jul 2024