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.

Study finds increase in odds of prescription opioid use disorder among young adults

Researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health found there was an increase in the probability of having a prescription opioid use disorder in the past year among 18- to 34-year-old nonmedical prescription opioid users in 2014 compared to 2002.

30 Sep 2016

CRNAs use holistic approach to effectively manage pain with less opioid dependency

The holistic approach to patient care and pain management used by Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists can help prevent opioid dependency, substance use disorder, drug overdoses and death, according to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists.

23 Sep 2016

New study finds opioid dependence affects perception of cute images of babies

A new pilot study has found that opioid dependence - which includes dependence on drugs such as heroin - affects how 'cute' we perceive images of children to be.

19 Sep 2016

Study finds fewer fatal car crashes linked to opioid positivity after execution of medical marijuana law

A study conducted at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health found that there were fewer drivers killed in car crashes who tested positive for opioids in states with medical marijuana laws than before the laws went into effect.

15 Sep 2016

Study finds late onset and short duration of pain relief treatment in many terminal cancer patients

Many terminal cancer patients are not getting adequate pain relief early enough, according to a University of Leeds study.

15 Sep 2016

$Researchers discover risk factors that contribute to fracture nonunion in adults$

Researchers discover risk factors that contribute to fracture nonunion in adults

Dr. Robert Zura, the Robert D'Ambrosia Professor and Head of Orthopaedic Surgery at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, was part of a research team that identified risk factors which may help orthopaedic surgeons better predict a serious complication of bone fractures.

7 Sep 2016

Delirium in advanced cancer patients: an interview with Dr Knox Todd

Delirium is a terribly distressing syndrome of acute confusion. We often see it in the emergency department in older patients and in those with multiple medical problems. They may be acting strangely at home and concerned loved ones bring them to the emergency department.

7 Sep 2016

Hospitalizations for injection drug use-related infective endocarditis increasing among young Americans

Hospitalizations for infective endocarditis, a heart valve infection often attributed to injection drug use, have increased significantly among young adult Americans--particularly in whites and females--according to a new study by researchers from Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine.

1 Sep 2016

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