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.

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

Medical marijuana rarely addressed in medical education

Although 29 states and the District of Columbia allow marijuana use for medical purposes, few medical students are being trained how to prescribe the drug.

15 Sep 2017

New HIVMA guidelines recommend screening everyone with HIV for chronic pain

Because ongoing pain is a significant problem that affects 39 to 85 percent of people living with HIV, everyone with the infection should be assessed for chronic pain, recommend guidelines released by the HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

14 Sep 2017

Study highlights sharply increasing trend in long-term use of prescription opioids

The prevalence of prescription opioid use increased from 4.1% of US adults in 1999-2000 to 6.8% in 2013-2014, according to a recent Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety study.

11 Sep 2017

Physical activity could change diet preferences in males, but not in females

Recent studies have shown that approximately 90 percent of adult Americans fail to reach the U.S. Department of Health guidelines for physical activity, which could be contributing to surging obesity rates.

6 Sep 2017

Collaborative care model can expand access to treatment for opioid or alcohol addiction

Combining substance abuse treatment with regular medical care can successfully treat people with opioid or alcohol addiction, providing an option that might expand treatment and lower the cost of caring for people caught up in the nation's opioid epidemic, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

6 Sep 2017

Review: Palliative care makes progress only in small subset of countries in Africa

Palliative care has increased in Africa over the past 12 years but only in a small subset of countries, according to a review published today in Lancet Oncology.

1 Sep 2017

New study finds lack of adherence to lifesaving treatment among breast cancer patients on opioids

A new study has found a troubling lack of adherence to a potentially lifesaving treatment regimen among breast cancer patients who take opioids to manage their pain.

1 Sep 2017

Millennials regret opioid use, prefer lifestyle changes to manage pain

Often spending their days hunched over phones, tablets or computers and their free time at spin class or playing sports, millennials are the next generation poised to experience chronic pain. Even at their young age, millennials say acute and chronic pain are already interfering with their quality of life.

30 Aug 2017

Research on electrical nerve-block implant aims at treating asthma and heart failure

Biomedical engineering researchers at Case Western Reserve University are refining more than 15 years of work on an electrical nerve-block implant, focusing their next step on new applications related to treating asthma and heart failure.

29 Aug 2017

Opioids News and Research

Further Reading

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

Medical marijuana rarely addressed in medical education

New HIVMA guidelines recommend screening everyone with HIV for chronic pain

Study highlights sharply increasing trend in long-term use of prescription opioids

Physical activity could change diet preferences in males, but not in females

Collaborative care model can expand access to treatment for opioid or alcohol addiction

Review: Palliative care makes progress only in small subset of countries in Africa

New study finds lack of adherence to lifesaving treatment among breast cancer patients on opioids

Millennials regret opioid use, prefer lifestyle changes to manage pain

Research on electrical nerve-block implant aims at treating asthma and heart failure

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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