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Drug users with HIV infection have 74% higher risk of overdose

A study from Rhode Island Hospital is the first to systematically review and analyze the literature on the association between HIV infection and overdose risk.

13 Dec 2011

Evaluating passive harms requires more thought, finds study

People typically say they are invoking an ethical principle when they judge acts that cause harm more harshly than willful inaction that allows that same harm to occur. That difference is even codified in criminal law.

3 Dec 2011

Combination of other opioids with methadone therapy can lead to overdose or fatal consequences

A new study has shown harmful prescription patterns of powerful painkillers among a substantial number of Ontario patients who received methadone therapy to treat their opioid addiction.

29 Nov 2011

Acetaminophen over-use can lead to serious liver damage

Common pain and fever Acetaminophen (best known by the brand name Tylenol) taken over a long time can cause liver failure and death, according to a new study.

24 Nov 2011

Anesthesia drug shortages can have devastating impact on patient care

The United States is facing ongoing shortages of several critical anesthesia medications—shortages with potentially serious effects on patient care and safety, according to a special article in the December issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society.

24 Nov 2011

Study reveals principal mechanism of action for paracetamol

Researchers at King's College London have discovered how one of the most common household painkillers works, which could pave the way for less harmful pain relief medications to be developed in the future.

23 Nov 2011

Naltrexone for problem gamblers

According to new practice guidelines Australian doctors treating gambling addicts now can consider prescribing an anti-heroin drug, naltrexone, to help problem gamblers control their impulses. Australia has one of the world’s highest rates of problem gamblers, with about 2.1 per cent of Australians experiencing some form of gambling problem.

22 Nov 2011

AAPM announces new plans for Safe Opioid Prescribing program

On the cusp of the recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report about the growing death toll from prescription drug deaths, the physician leadership of the American Academy of Pain Medicine announced its plans to roll-out a new education initiative: Safe Opioid Prescribing: Reversing the Trends.

5 Nov 2011

Americans overdosing on prescription pain killers

According to figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 40 Americans die from prescription painkiller abuse each day. Overdoses of opioid prescription drugs now kill more people in the U.S. than do overdoses from heroin and cocaine combined the report says. Twelve million Americans say they abused prescription drugs in the last year.

2 Nov 2011

CMA welcomes Supreme Court ruling on Vancouver's supervised injection facility

The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) welcomed today the unanimous ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada allowing Vancouver's supervised drug injection facility, Insite, to continue to operate.

1 Oct 2011

Regulatory bias against taking oral anti-cancer medications with food places patients at risk of overdose

A regulatory bias against taking oral anti-cancer medications with food places many patients at increased risk for an overdose and forces them to "flush costly medicines down the toilet," argues Mark Ratain, MD, an authority on cancer-drug dosing.

20 Sep 2011

Drug overdose deaths surpass road traffic accident deaths in U.S.

According to newly released figures, drug-related deaths now outnumber traffic fatalities in the U.S., with the rise driven by an increase in prescription narcotic overdoses.

19 Sep 2011

Med schools lack curriculm on gay health, survey finds

A report in the Journal of the American Medical Association and a Mayo Clinic study examine medical school students' curriculum and stress levels.

8 Sep 2011

Dendritic cells play central role in regulation of acetaminophen's toxicity

NYU School of Medicine researchers have discovered that dendritic cells in the liver have a protective role against the toxicity of acetaminophen, the widely used over-the-counter pain reliever and fever reducer for adults and children.

2 Sep 2011

Study looks at intraoperative awareness

In some cases a patient might lie on the operating table conscious and aware of the surgeon's knife despite general anesthesia and this is worrisome say experts. One recent innovation is the so-called bispectral index, a monitoring system which measures electrical brain activity to attempt to detect awareness.

18 Aug 2011

Health Affairs report describes ground-breaking effort that aims to prevent opioid abuse

Fatal overdoses involving prescribed opioids tripled in the United States between 1999 and 2006, climbing to almost 14,000 deaths annually-more than cocaine and heroin overdoses combined. Hospitalizations and emergency room visits related to prescription opioid pain medicines such as oxycodone and hydrocodone also increased dramatically in the same period.

5 Aug 2011

Researchers awarded $12M to study pathology of severe lung injury

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine have been awarded more than $11.7 million to study the pathology of severe lung injury.

30 Jul 2011

Cadence confirms FDA dosing recommendations for OFIRMEV

Cadence Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today confirmed that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved dosing recommendations for OFIRMEV (acetaminophen) injection remains 4,000 mg per day for adults and adolescents weighing at least 50 kg.

29 Jul 2011

High-dose vitamin D reduces musculoskeletal pain in breast cancer patients

High-dose vitamin D relieves joint and muscle pain for many breast cancer patients taking estrogen-lowering drugs, according to a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

27 Jul 2011

Study explores factors for misuse of prescription opioid in young injection drug users

A new study by researchers at Drexel University's School of Public Health suggests that abuse of prescription painkillers may be an important gateway to the use of injected drugs such as heroin, among people with a history of using both types of drugs.

25 Jul 2011