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In response to the escalating crisis of opioid abuse and overdose fatalities, states are adopting dosage thresholds as part of their prescribing guidelines. A clinical pharmacist and public policy professor summarize the public health landscape that has spawned this response, and evaluate the impact...
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Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) are widely available, but not yet uniformly used. A clinical pharmacist and associate professor evaluates the current landscape, and what can be improved to enhance their utility in curbing substance misuse and abuse.
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Although prescription medications are of great benefit to many patients with chronic non-cancer pain, there are significant complications for patients who are either addicted or in recovery. Dr. Durham, a clinical pharmacist, professor of pharmacy, and medication prescriber, considers the...
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A specialist in pain and substance abuse discusses findings from the research on vulnerable populations in the pain community. Patients with pain and concurrent substance use disorders are particularly at risk for depression and suicidal ideation. To what degree does this underlie the problem of...
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The relationship between addictive behavior and prescription pain medication is a really complex one. It’s almost always hard to predict. There are some obvious clues, like a previous history of substance abuse, or potential clues such as a family history of substance abuse, or maybe some...
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There’s a large focus right now on drug testing and claims for clinical laboratory services related to drugs of abuse testing. The payers are interested in this area because there’s been quite a significant amount of fraud and abuse identified through payer investigative techniques. So the payers...
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There’s a robust body of literature on the comorbidity of depression, anxiety and chronic pain. Approximately 50 percent of patients who suffer from chronic nonmalignant pain suffer from some degree of depression. With respect to pain patients and suicidal ideation the prevalence is anywhere between...
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A panel of legal and compliance experts discuss some of the issues confronting prescribers of controlled substances in the management of patients who may be abusing and/or diverting their medications. How should clinicians negotiate the terrain between confronting suspicious patient behavior and...
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Clinicians must be prepared to recognize that addiction is a disease and it’s a very serious and fatal disease, which is often written off as a weakness or poor moral character, or something like that. Only by recognizing it as a disease can they really help their patients through compassion...
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The evaluation of these patients by providers, physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and all those who work in a medical team, is a challenge and therefore we need to standardize the approach. We need to recognize that we’re dealing with a chronic illness that requires a team...