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
November 9, 2023

Rapid high-dose buprenorphine treatment strategy reduces opioid withdrawal in individuals using fentanyl

Buprenorphine is a medication approved for pain and opioid dependence. New findings published in The American Journal on Addictions indicate that a transmucosal dose (which dissolves in the mouth) of buprenorphine followed by an injection of extended-release buprenorphine (BUP‐XR) may be an effective treatment for individuals with opioid use disorder who use fentanyl. The results come from a recent secondary analysis of […]

admin Health 0 39 sec read
November 5, 2023

UK researchers lead study identifying varied factors in buprenorphine users and urine drug testing

A study by a team of researchers across the country, including two from the University of Kentucky, is the first to demonstrate a connection between the characteristics of patients receiving buprenorphine for opioid use disorder and the use of urine drug testing. Lindsey Hammerslag, Ph.D., an assistant research professor in the Division of Biomedical Informatics in the UK College of Medicine, […]

admin Health 0 1 min read
October 25, 2023

Predictors of opioid overdose after prescription for chronic pain

A large study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.230459 identified 10 predictors of opioid overdose after prescription for chronic pain, which can help clinicians engage in shared decision-making with patients around opioid prescribing. “The opioid crisis has generated interest in identifying patients at higher risk of addiction or overdose and has led to the development of several screening tools; however, these instruments […]

admin Health 0 1 min read
October 7, 2023

Are opioid prescription rates changing for US adolescents?

A new analysis reveals that rates of opioid prescribing to US adolescents have decreased in recent years, primarily limited to non-surgery indications. Opioid prescription rates for surgery have remained stable. The analysis, which is published in Pediatric Anesthesia, assessed data from the 2015–2020 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys, which are nationally representative, large-scale surveys conducted annually by the Agency for Healthcare Research […]

admin Health 0 1 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
August 30, 2023

Anesthesiologists should play bigger role in perioperative care of people with Substance Use Disorders

As use and misuse of alcohol, opioids, and psychostimulants continues to increase, anesthesiologists can become a more integral part of the care team managing patients with a Substance Use Disorder (SUD), according to a series of three articles published in the September issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, the official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society. The journal is published in the Lippincott […]

admin Health 0 2 min read
July 3, 2023

New topline Olinvyk data highlighting reduced cost per admission from ARTEMIS real-world outcomes study – Trevena Inc

Trevena, Inc. announced new topline Olinvyk data from the ARTEMIS study. The ARTEMIS study was an electronic medical records (EMR) based assessment focused on clinical and health resource utilization outcomes at Cleveland Clinic and Wake Forest Baptist Health. The study reviewed Olinvyk-treated patients in the ~200 patient VOLITION study with comparable surgical patients (matched patients) treated with other IV opioids, […]

admin Health 0 3 min read

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