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A study conducted by researchers from University of Kentucky College of Public Health, Lexington reports that states which elected to expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act saw a significant increase in the prescribing of buprenorphine. Study author Hefei Wen, PhD, stated, "Our...
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A clinical pharmacy specialist turns the spotlight on an option for chronic pain management that many clinicians may not have considered. Buprenorphine offers advantages to patients who are indicated for opioid therapy, but are at risk for adverse effects, While reimbursement is an issue, it...
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Transformative care is a strategy to really improve the care for patients with pain. It basically means integrating training of patients with treatment of patients. Evidence-based treatments work very well, slightly above placebo, and work fairly well short term, but most patients don’t want to be...
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In December, 2016, the New York State Health Department announced plans to modify the state medical marijuana program to include chronic pain as a qualifying condition. A regulatory amendment to this effect was submitted for public comment, and last week the Department announced that the addition...
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It's important for practitioners to be "in the know" about drugs of abuse, whether new ones, or new abuses of well-known drugs.
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I think it’s important for primary care providers or anyone taking care of chronic pain patients to realize that the central nervous system plays a very prominent role in pain processing. In many individuals, in whom we see that the central nervous system is amplifying their pain, the brain is also...
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The challenge to prescribers seeking to manage their patients’ chronic pain while addressing the risk for opioid related adverse events has escalated with the increasing use of opioid therapy over the last 2 decades. A recent study by a team that included PAINWeek faculty member Beth Darnall, PhD...
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A study from the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation recommends that doctors should determine if their patients who are scheduled for elective abdominal surgery are already taking opioids. The study found that these patients experienced longer hospital stays and...
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Being Aware of Pain, Instead of Being Distracted From It
It may seem counterintuitive, but meditating into pain as opposed to trying to distract from it can be beneficial to people in pain. A former Buddist monk and current Chief Zen Officer explains that focusing on pain, but not judging it, can...
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Greater reliance on opioid medications while awaiting a liver transplant may correlate with higher risk for organ loss and subsequent death after the transplant procedure, according to findings from new research published in Liver Transplantation. The connection between opioid use and patient...