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.

Researchers reveal prevalence of unused prescription opioids following surgery

In a review of half a dozen published studies in which patients self-reported use of opioids prescribed to them after surgery, researchers at Johns Hopkins report that a substantial majority of patients used only some or none of the pills, and more than 90 percent failed to dispose of the leftovers in recommended ways.

2 Aug 2017

Survey explores how Ohio's ED administrators perceive role of state opioid prescribing guidelines

A survey led by a team of researchers at the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center reports that the majority of Ohio's emergency department administrators and physicians are in support of the most recent state guidelines for prescribing opioids, but challenges still exist in implementation.

1 Aug 2017

Drug overdose deaths on the rise in Ohio

In light of the Ohio opioid epidemic, Advanced Recovery Systems, an integrated behavioral healthcare management company, recently opened an addiction and co-occurring mental health treatment facility in Groveport: The Recovery Village Columbus. Located 10 miles away from Columbus, this new facility opened on July 11, 2017 and is now accepting patients.

29 Jul 2017

Back to Basics: Chiropractors provide safe, non-drug approach to pain relief

The American Chiropractic Association and chiropractors nationwide will observe National Chiropractic Health Month this October by sharing information on back pain prevention and the value of a conservative approach to treatment with the theme "Back to Basics."

27 Jul 2017

Study finds sevenfold rise in prescription opioid use among fatally injured drivers

The percentage of fatally injured drivers who tested positive for prescription opioids rose sevenfold from 1 percent in 1995 to over 7 percent in 2015, according to a new study at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. The findings appear online in the American Journal of Public Health.

26 Jul 2017

Yoga benefits veterans with chronic low back pain, study shows

In a study including 150 military veterans with chronic low back pain, researcher Dr. Erik J. Groessl and his team from the VA San Diego Healthcare System found that veterans who completed a 12-week yoga program had better scores on a disability questionnaire, improved pain intensity scores, and a decline in opioid use.

25 Jul 2017

Fear of being arrested prevents people from calling 911 after opioid overdose

Fear of being arrested still undercuts an Indiana law that shields anyone who administers naloxone from criminal charges, according to a survey conducted by two researchers at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

19 Jul 2017

Study: Team-based primary care model effective in lowering opioid use among chronic pain patients

A new, team-based, primary care model is decreasing prescription opioid use among patients with chronic pain by 40 percent, according to a new study out of Boston Medical Center's Grayken Center for Addiction Medicine, which is published online ahead of print in JAMA Internal Medicine.

18 Jul 2017

Research shows that opioid prescription practices at Mayo Clinic exceed upcoming guidelines

More than 4 in 5 opioid prescriptions given after surgery over a recent two-year period at Mayo Clinic exceeded guidelines now in the works, the clinic's researchers have found.

14 Jul 2017

Study analyzes exposures to medication errors resulting in serious medical outcomes

Every 21 seconds someone in the United States calls Poison Control because of a medication error. A new study from the Center for Injury Research and Policy and the Central Ohio Poison Center at Nationwide Children's Hospital analyzed calls to Poison Control Centers across the country over a 13-year period about exposures to medication errors which resulted in serious medical outcomes.

10 Jul 2017

Handwritten drug prescriptions contribute heavily to trio of major errors

In a small study of opioid prescriptions filled at a Johns Hopkins Medicine outpatient pharmacy, researchers found that handwritten orders for the drugs contribute heavily to a trio of prescribing and processing errors in contrast to those created electronically.

10 Jul 2017

Nurse-led intervention helps carers with medication management for people with terminal cancer

A study funded by Marie Curie and Dimbleby Cancer Care published today shows the potential benefits of a new nurse-led intervention in supporting carers to manage pain medication in people with terminal cancer.

7 Jul 2017

Illegal diversion of opioids linked to cluster outbreak of Serratia marcescens bacteria

An illegal diversion of opioids by a hospital nurse tampering with syringes was responsible for a cluster outbreak of Serratia marcescens, a gram-negative bacteria, according to research published online today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

7 Jul 2017

Opioid prescribing practices update from CDC

According to the latest Vital Signs reports issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of prescriptions containing an opioid was at its highest in 2010 and since then has decreased every year until 2015. The numbers are still high says the report and the variations are also noticeable between counties.

6 Jul 2017

Managing stress, improving pain coping strategies may minimize need for opioids after surgery

Helping patients to better manage stress and improve coping strategies related to pain may minimize the need for opioids following ankle fracture surgery, according to new research appearing in the July 2017 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

6 Jul 2017

Scientists develop new class of pain medication without dangerous side effects

Scientists from Freie Universität Berlin and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin at Campus Benjamin Franklin have developed a new class of pain medication.

4 Jul 2017

Analysis looks at use of multiple substances in reproductive-age women who use opioids

The majority of reproductive-age and pregnant women who use opioids for non-medical purposes also use at least one other substance, ranging from nicotine or alcohol to cocaine, according to a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health analysis.

30 Jun 2017

Opioid use disorder rises with little being done to curb the menace says new study

A new study has found that more and more Americans are being diagnosed with opioid addiction and the numbers that receive treatment are still very few. This finding is consistent with earlier findings from Blue Cross Blue Shield when analyzing member data.

29 Jun 2017

Study finds link between new opioid use and increased risk of cardiac death in older adults with COPD

Older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder who recently started using opioids have an increased risk of coronary artery disease-related death compared to non-opioid users, researchers at St. Michael's Hospital have found.

29 Jun 2017

Psychological tools help high-risk chronic pain patients to taper opioid use

Psychological support and new coping skills are helping patients at high risk of developing chronic pain and long-term, high-dose opioid use taper their opioids and rebuild their lives with activities that are meaningful and joyful to them.

29 Jun 2017

Opioids News and Research

Further Reading

Researchers reveal prevalence of unused prescription opioids following surgery

Survey explores how Ohio's ED administrators perceive role of state opioid prescribing guidelines

Drug overdose deaths on the rise in Ohio

Back to Basics: Chiropractors provide safe, non-drug approach to pain relief

Study finds sevenfold rise in prescription opioid use among fatally injured drivers

Yoga benefits veterans with chronic low back pain, study shows

Fear of being arrested prevents people from calling 911 after opioid overdose

Study: Team-based primary care model effective in lowering opioid use among chronic pain patients

Research shows that opioid prescription practices at Mayo Clinic exceed upcoming guidelines

Study analyzes exposures to medication errors resulting in serious medical outcomes

Handwritten drug prescriptions contribute heavily to trio of major errors

Nurse-led intervention helps carers with medication management for people with terminal cancer

Illegal diversion of opioids linked to cluster outbreak of Serratia marcescens bacteria

Opioid prescribing practices update from CDC

Managing stress, improving pain coping strategies may minimize need for opioids after surgery

Scientists develop new class of pain medication without dangerous side effects

Analysis looks at use of multiple substances in reproductive-age women who use opioids

Opioid use disorder rises with little being done to curb the menace says new study

Study finds link between new opioid use and increased risk of cardiac death in older adults with COPD

Psychological tools help high-risk chronic pain patients to taper opioid use

Achieving and maintaining ISO 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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