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A study conducted by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sheds new light on national patterns for opioid prescribing to US patients who are below age 65 and on disability. The survey included data from 2014 on some 3.5 million Medicare Part D recipients who were medically...
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Fewer than 5% of people who are referred for treatment for opioid abuse from the criminal justice system in the US are receiving medication assisted therapy. This finding is reported by researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in a study report appearing in the December...
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A new study, led by RTI International, will examine fresh strategies that may be effective in addressing the crisis of opioid misuse while preserving access to opioids for chronic pain patients who benefit from their use. Lead researcher Lauren McCormack, PhD, vice president of the Public Health...
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Gabapentin and pregabalin are being misused and abused, but remain unscheduled. Why? What's all the GABA about? Drs. Brooks and Kominek discuss.
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Medication assisted therapy (MAT) has been shown to be an effective approach to treating patients with substance abuse issues, but its implementation by primary care has been slow and uneven. New research conducted by a team from University of Michigan seeks to address this problem and encourage the...
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In addition to other shortcomings, current prescribing guidelines are particularly ill-suited to the needs and challenges of patients already on opioid therapy. Drs. Heit and Gourlay discuss the roots of the problem and the role of primary care as talented amateurs in addiction medicine.
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Dr. Stanos reviews the development of evidence based medicine and offers some pointers to primary practitioners on how to intelligently assess guidelines and clinical trials. Critical evaluation can help clinicians become better users of clinical and research information.
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Recent press coverage highlights the work of congressional representatives and key opinion leaders to impact insurance carrier policy with respect to nonopioid and abuse deterrent opioid treatment alternatives for pain. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) recently sent a letter to the CEOs of UnitedHealth...
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Published in PWJ - PAINWeek Journal Vol 5, Q2 | 2017
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New research presented last week at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society may point the way to a more effective treatment response for overdoses of opioid combinations—including fentanyl combined with heroin--that are at the heart of the epidemic of substance use disorder. The new...