January 17, 2024

Want safer prescribing? Provide doctors with a plan for helping patients in pain

Physicians who are notified that a patient has died of a drug overdose are more judicious in issuing controlled substances if the notification includes a plan for what to do during subsequent patient visits, according to a study published today in Nature Communications. Compared to a letter with demonstrated effectiveness at improving prescribing safety, physicians who received notifications with additional planning guidance reduced […]

admin Health 0 2 min read
September 24, 2023

Higher buprenorphine doses associated with improved retention in treatment for opioid use disorder

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. The study, published today in JAMA Network Open, was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse […]

admin Health 0 3 min read
September 13, 2023

How should clinicians prescribe opioids for cancer-related pain in patients who use cocaine or methamphetamines?

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. In a new study, palliative care and addiction experts deemed it appropriate to continue opioids, increase monitoring, and avoid opioid tapering in such patients. The results […]

admin Health 0 1 min read
July 10, 2022

New study sheds light on why opioids can cause gastrointestinal problems

Opioids are the gold standard for treatment of chronic and acute pain; however, their use may result in significant gastrointestinal side effects, including nausea, vomiting, and constipation. The reasons behind these side effects are not well understood. A new study in The American Journal of Pathology, published by Elsevier, is the first report of how opioids like morphine cause gastric inflammation […]

admin Health 0 2 min read

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