Opioid Addiction News and Research

RSS

Global task force of bone health experts question effectiveness of spinal fusion procedures

There is little to no evidence that two surgical procedures used to fuse crumbled vertebrae following a spinal fracture caused by osteoporosis reduce pain for patients any better than non-surgical or placebo procedures, according to a new report from a global task force of bone health experts published today in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

24 Jan 2019

Most substance use disorder treatment facilities do not offer medication treatment

Despite the mounting death toll of America's opioid crisis, only a minority of facilities that treat substance use disorders offer patients buprenorphine, naltrexone or methadone--the three FDA-approved medications for the long-term management of opioid use disorder, according to a new study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

16 Jan 2019

Opiod prescriptions for pet dogs misused by their masters

A new study has shown that Americans are probably increasingly consuming the opioid analgesics that are prescribed for their pet dogs. The research shows that one of the reasons behind rise in the opioid epidemic could be the rise in prescription opioids for dogs.

14 Jan 2019

Opioids contribute to rise in suicides and overdoses in the U.S.

Suicides and drug overdoses kill American adults at twice the rate today as they did just 17 years ago, and opioids are a key contributor to that rise, according to a new review and analysis by a University of Michigan team.

7 Jan 2019

Women's Health Research at Yale calls on government committee to revise its report on opioid epidemic

Women's Health Research at Yale (WHRY) is calling on a government committee to revise its report on a coordinated response to the opioid epidemic so that it reflects the unique needs of women.

6 Jan 2019

Researchers discover extent of opioid use and abuse in head and neck cancer patients

Cancer patients are often prescribed pain medications, for example during recovery from surgical procedures. However, for many cancer patients, the use of opioid pain medications during treatment can be a gateway to misuse or addiction once treatment ends.

27 Dec 2018

Hep C and drug abuse often go hand in hand, but screening for infection lags

When people seek help at a drug treatment center for an opioid addiction, concerns about having contracted hepatitis C are generally low on their list.

19 Dec 2018

Activating brain region could revive the urge to socialize among opioid addicts

One of the many painful and challenging aspects of the US opioid crisis is that people abusing opioids often isolate themselves from family and friends, making it difficult for loved ones to help people on a path towards recovery.

10 Dec 2018

First-of-its-kind undertaking to study genetic, biological factors that contribute to development of opioid use disorder

The Coriell Institute for Medical Research, Cooper University Health Care and Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (CMSRU) are launching the Camden Opioid Research Initiative (CORI), a first-of-its-kind undertaking to investigate the genetic and biological factors that contribute to the development of opioid use disorder (also referred to as opioid dependence or addiction).

29 Nov 2018

O'Donnell Brain Institute helps U.S. effort to study neural circuits behind learning, memory

UT Southwestern's O'Donnell Brain Institute will help in a national effort to understand the neural circuits behind learning, memory, and behavior.

3 Nov 2018

NIH increases funding through the BRAIN Initiative

The National Institutes of Health announces funding of more than 200 new awards, totaling over $220 million, through the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies Initiative, an exciting trans-agency effort to arm researchers with revolutionary tools to fundamentally understand the neural circuits that underlie the healthy and diseased brain.

2 Nov 2018

Medsphere endorses SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act

Medsphere Systems Corporation, the leading provider of affordable and interoperable healthcare information technology solutions and services, today endorsed the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act signed into law by President Trump on October 24.

1 Nov 2018

UA pharmacology professors aim to avoid opioid analgesic tolerance

For thousands of Americans, opioids no longer relieve pain -- they cause pain. Known as "opioid tolerance," patients eventually become desensitized to opioids and more sensitive to pain after years of using the pain relievers.

31 Oct 2018

Study finds increase in opioid-affected births to rural residents in rural and urban hospitals

The opioid epidemic has had devastating effects on families in rural communities, places where both maternity care and substance use treatment are limited.

30 Oct 2018

Investigational drug targeting the opioid system may help reduce symptoms of major depression

Two clinical trials of an investigational drug that targets the opioid system support its safety and effectiveness in reducing symptoms of major depression, when added to standard antidepressant treatment.

29 Oct 2018

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What the Health?’ Republicans’ preexisting political problem

Ensuring that people with preexisting health conditions can get and keep health insurance has become one of the leading issues around the country ahead of this fall's midterm elections.

18 Oct 2018

CU Denver professor receives funding to study opioid addiction treatment for chronic pain sufferers

The University of Colorado Denver and assistant psychology professor Dr. Amy Wachholtz were awarded more than $700,000 in funding by the National Institute of Health (NIH) to study treatments for chronic pain sufferers who become addicted to opioids. Recruitment is underway to enroll study patients for this clinical research.

12 Oct 2018

Black market for suboxone gives some a glimpse of recovery

Months in prison didn’t rid Daryl of his addiction to opioids. “Before I left the parking lot of the prison, I was shooting up, getting high,” he said.

9 Oct 2018

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What the Health?’ Some things old, some things new

Congress passed major health-related legislation in time for the fiscal year, which began Monday, including a broad bill to address the opioid epidemic and a spending bill for the Department of Health and Human Services.

4 Oct 2018

Buried in Congress’ opioid bill is protection for personal drug imports

The final version of the massive opioid bill Congress released Wednesday would grant the Food and Drug Administration new powers to crack down on drug imports, but it also includes a provision — nearly killed in the Senate — to shield people who are just trying to buy cheaper, needed prescription medication from other countries.

27 Sep 2018