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New study suggests higher buprenorphine doses could help save lives

Individuals with opioid use disorder who were prescribed a lower buprenorphine dose were 20% more likely to discontinue treatment than those on a higher dose, according to a study of patients prescribed buprenorphine in Rhode Island from 2016 to 2020, as fentanyl became widely available.

19 Sep 2023

Experts provide guidance on opioid management in individuals with cancer-related pain

Clinicians treating cancer-related pain must consider whether and how to prescribe opioids to patients who use nonmedical stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamines; however, no guidelines exist related to these common and challenging situations.

15 Sep 2023

Study: Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. more than quadrupled from 1999 to 2020

The United States is experiencing its highest overall death rates in more than a century, fueled in part by drug overdose mortality. The origins of the current epidemic are due, at least in part, to a 1986 World Health Organization pronouncement that pain treatment is a universal right.

12 Sep 2023

Heat-related deaths are up, and not just because it’s getting hotter

Heat-related illness and deaths in California and the U.S. are on the rise along with temperatures, and an increase in drug use and homelessness is a significant part of the problem, according to public health officials and data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

8 Sep 2023

Study highlights risks of high-dose naloxone in opioid overdose response

Whether regular distribution of two intravenous or intramuscular administrations of low-dose naloxone was effective and adequate in reversing opioid overdoses.

4 Sep 2023

ADHD drug could serve as a cocaine-replacement therapy

Cocaine use continues to be a public health problem, yet despite concerted efforts, no drugs have been approved to resolve cocaine addiction. Research suggests that the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder drug methylphenidate (MPH; Ritalin) could serve as a cocaine-replacement therapy, but clinical results have been mixed.

30 Aug 2023

Artificial intelligence may influence whether you can get pain medication

Elizabeth Amirault had never heard of a Narx Score. But she said she learned last year the tool had been used to track her medication use.

30 Aug 2023

What are the neuropathologic and clinical findings in a convenience sample of young, deceased, symptomatic contact sport athletes?

Researchers characterized the neuropathological and clinical symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy among young brain donors exposed to repetitive head impacts.

30 Aug 2023

£5 million awarded to 12 projects aimed at tackling fatal drug overdoses

12 projects awarded a share of £5 million to reduce rates of fatal drug overdoses, as part of Vaccine Taskforce style approach to tackle health challenges.

29 Aug 2023

UVA Health launches clinical trial to determine if focused ultrasound can help people quit cocaine

Pioneering researchers at UVA Health are testing whether focused sound waves can help people overcome cocaine addiction, a growing problem across the nation.

22 Aug 2023

Strengthening prison reentry programs can help reduce opioid overdose deaths in the U.S.

With opioid overdose deaths surging in the United States, many communities are in desperate need of solutions to bring down the body count. Among the most promising is strengthening prison reentry programs for highest-risk users, a Rutgers-led study has found.

21 Aug 2023

Expert consensus on how to help patients with chronic pain get adequate care and coverage

The pendulum of opioid prescribing for pain has swung sharply in the last decade, as the epidemic of opioid overuse, addiction and overdose led policymakers and health care providers to ratchet back on the prescriptions patients receive.

14 Aug 2023

University of Michigan and Zingerman's launch pilot program to train employees in use of naloxone

In an effort to expand the use of lifesaving opioid overdose reversal medication, the University of Michigan and Ann Arbor’s Zingerman’s Community of Businesses are launching a restaurant-based pilot program in Michigan to train employees in the use and administration of naloxone.

7 Aug 2023

New antibody shows promise in reversing carfentanil overdoses

An antibody in single-chain fragment variable (scFv) format that binds to the powerful opioid carfentanil was shown to reverse signs of carfentanil overdose in preclinical tests conducted by scientists at Scripps Research.

7 Aug 2023

Out-of-pocket costs a barrier to treatment for opioid use disorder

Most individuals diagnosed with opioid use disorder are not on recommended medications and even fewer remain in care, according to a research letter published today in JAMA Internal Medicine by lead author Ashley Leech, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

7 Aug 2023

Gut microbiome changes have significant effects on cocaine use and cravings

According to the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 4.8 million people (ages 12 and up) reported using cocaine within the previous 12 months, and 24,486 people died from an overdose involving cocaine.

3 Aug 2023

Scientists map 3D structure of kappa opioid receptor

Opioids remain the most potent and effective pain relievers in medicine, but they're also among the most addictive drugs that can halt a person's ability to breathe during an overdose -; which can be deadly.

27 Jul 2023

Study finds gap in survival rates for Asian adults after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

Despite similar rates of bystander CPR after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, Asian adults in the U.S. have lower rates of survival than white adults, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

26 Jul 2023

The painful legacy of ‘law and order’ treatment of addiction in jail

Megan Dunn, who has struggled with addiction since her teens, points to the moment her life went "deeply downhill."

19 Jul 2023

Fentanyl overdose reversal: New hope on the horizon

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 100,000 Americans die each year from an overdose, most due to the use of synthetic opiates like fentanyl. While naloxone, currently the only an antidote for opiate overdose, has become more common, it is less effective against fentanyl-class synthetic opioids.

18 Jul 2023

Overdose News and Research

New study suggests higher buprenorphine doses could help save lives

Experts provide guidance on opioid management in individuals with cancer-related pain

Study: Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. more than quadrupled from 1999 to 2020

Heat-related deaths are up, and not just because it’s getting hotter

Study highlights risks of high-dose naloxone in opioid overdose response

ADHD drug could serve as a cocaine-replacement therapy

Artificial intelligence may influence whether you can get pain medication

What are the neuropathologic and clinical findings in a convenience sample of young, deceased, symptomatic contact sport athletes?

£5 million awarded to 12 projects aimed at tackling fatal drug overdoses

UVA Health launches clinical trial to determine if focused ultrasound can help people quit cocaine

Strengthening prison reentry programs can help reduce opioid overdose deaths in the U.S.

Expert consensus on how to help patients with chronic pain get adequate care and coverage

University of Michigan and Zingerman's launch pilot program to train employees in use of naloxone

New antibody shows promise in reversing carfentanil overdoses

Out-of-pocket costs a barrier to treatment for opioid use disorder

Gut microbiome changes have significant effects on cocaine use and cravings

Scientists map 3D structure of kappa opioid receptor

Study finds gap in survival rates for Asian adults after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

The painful legacy of ‘law and order’ treatment of addiction in jail

Fentanyl overdose reversal: New hope on the horizon

Innovations in baculovirus–insect cell expression systems

Compound Management and its Crucial Role in Early Pharmaceutical Research

Natural products: the next frontier in drug discovery

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