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Cordant's drug take-back program helps patients to safely dispose unwanted prescription medications

Medication theft from the home is a leading cause of prescription drug overdose deaths, but nearly 70 percent of prescription opioid medications kept in homes with children are not stored safely, according to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

26 Apr 2017

Researchers develop sensor-equipped gloves to accurately measure muscle stiffness

Everyone experiences stiff muscles from time to time, whether after a rigorous workout, in cold weather, or after falling asleep in an unusual position.

20 Apr 2017

How physicians can prevent opioid abuse while providing adequate pain relief

Rather than being considered a miracle pill that magically takes away pain, prescription opioids are increasingly being seen as a precursor to heroin addiction and the cause of potentially deadly overdoses themselves.

19 Apr 2017

Intranasal administration of medications becoming more popular in emergency departments

Administering medications through the nose as an alternative to injections or IVs is becoming increasingly popular in emergency departments and ambulances, according to a paper by Loyola Medicine pharmacists.

18 Apr 2017

Study finds depression and SUD to be strongest risk factors for prescription opioid overdose

Individuals suffering from a substance use disorder (SUD) or depression are among those at highest risk for a serious prescription opioid overdose, according to a study published in Pain Medicine.

13 Apr 2017

JAPhA articles highlight role of pharmacists in controlling opioid crisis

Pharmacists often face serious challenges when trying to balance the needs of patients with chronic pain and preventing prescription drug misuse, abuse, and overdose.

7 Apr 2017

Six important things to know about opioid crisis

While opioid drugs play an important role in pain management, an alarming increase in opioid diversion, opioid use disorder, and opioid-related mortality and morbidity in recent years has created a healthcare crisis in the United States.

5 Apr 2017

Study unravels mysteries behind cause of acute liver failure

Twenty years ago, the federal government funded the study of a condition quietly killing hundreds of Americans a year - acute liver failure, or ALF. Growing evidence had linked ALF to overdoses of acetaminophen, the popular over-the-counter pain medication many viewed as harmless at the time.

29 Mar 2017

Antidepressants and anti-seizure drugs can effectively treat diabetic nerve pain, research finds

A federal health agency has found certain antidepressants and anti-seizure drugs are among medications that effectively treat diabetic nerve pain.

25 Mar 2017

Genotype-guided warfarin dosing linked to reduced risk of adverse events

Using genetic testing to help personalize doses of warfarin therapy given to patients undergoing elective orthopedic surgery appears to lower the risk of combined adverse events compared with clinically guided dosing, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology's 66th Annual Scientific Session.

21 Mar 2017

Study: Group practice of Transcendental Meditation reduces drug-related fatalities in general population

The rate of US drug-related fatalities fell 30.4% nationwide from 2007 to 2010 due to the reductions in societal stress and increased alertness in the individuals in society created by a large group practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique and its advanced program, the TM-Sidhi program, a new study shows.

14 Mar 2017

Heroin use linked to epigenetic alterations in the brain

The past few years have seen an explosion of heroin abuse and deaths from opiate overdose. But little is known about the molecular underpinnings of heroin addiction.

14 Mar 2017

Physicians and patients often differ over priorities of pain treatment, research shows

Disagreements between doctors and patients over the priorities of pain treatment are common during primary care office visits, new research from UC Davis Health shows.

13 Mar 2017

CRNAs urge patients to learn about risks, benefits of pain relief treatments

The opioid crisis is one of the largest challenges facing today's healthcare professionals and the patients for whom they care.

8 Mar 2017

Compound from snail's venom may offer alternative to opioids for pain relief

A tiny snail may offer an alternative to opioids for pain relief. Scientists at the University of Utah have found a compound that blocks pain by targeting a pathway not associated with opioids.

21 Feb 2017

Study shines light on pervasiveness of unsafely stored opioids in homes with children

Nearly 70 percent of prescription opioid medications kept in homes with children are not stored safely, a new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health finds.

20 Feb 2017

New article highlights prevalence of nonmedical prescription drug use among young people

Balancing a country's need to make prescription drugs available to those in need while simultaneously curbing nonmedical use is one of our greatest challenges, according to a perspective article just published by Silvia Martins, MD, PhD, associate professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and a colleague at American University of Beirut.

6 Feb 2017

Researchers uncover new pathway in the body that stimulates liver repair

A team of Michigan State University researchers, led by James Luyendyk in the College of Veterinary Medicine, has uncovered a new pathway in the body that stimulates liver repair.

19 Jan 2017

Gulf Breeze Recovery underscores importance of high-quality programs for treating opioid addiction

As opioid addiction hits record highs, Gulf Breeze Recovery, a Florida-based addiction recovery center, stresses the importance of high-quality, successful programs for treating addiction.

26 Dec 2016

Opioid users treated in compulsory drug detention centre more likely to relapse, study shows

People with chronic opioid use disorders are more likely to relapse and do so sooner if they are treated in a compulsory drug detention centre rather than a voluntary drug treatment centre using methadone maintenance therapy, according to the first study comparing the outcome of both approaches published in The Lancet Global Health.

9 Dec 2016