| Article
“In patients prescribed stable, long-term, high-dose opioid therapy, is dose tapering associated with an increased risk of overdose or mental health crisis?” That is the question discussed in an article published in JAMA. Over 100,000 patients who had their opioid dose tapered were included in this...
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Threats. Harassment. Attacks. There have been reports recently about practitioners saying “No” to patients requesting opioids, and either being threatened or actually harmed. In Minnesota, five people were shot, and one killed, by a man who had been denied painkillers. A report in the Baltimore Sun...
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Tapering medication can be stressful for a patient. How can a practitioner make it less so? VA doctors Robert Sproul and Sanjog Pangarkar discuss the importance of communication and partnership between patient and practitioner.
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An article published in the Annals of Family Medicine journal states that painkillers may not address all aspects of pain, and may add to dysfunction. In their abstract, pain experts Mark Sullivan and Jane Ballantyne, from the University of Washington School of Medicine, state, "The US opioid...
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Newswise — Stigma and safety fears have made daily dose tapering of opioid prescriptions more common. New research from UC Davis Health physicians, however, shows tapering can occur at rates as much as six times higher than recommended, putting patients at risk of withdrawal, uncontrolled pain or...
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Clinical pharmacy specialists Foy and Uritsky discuss pain management options for patients with chronic pain and central sensitization, particularly as these relate to decisions on opioid tapering. Effective patient education is key to success.
| Podcast
Chronic pain involves a complex process, with an underlying pathophysiology that is now understood to involve a sensitized state. Understanding the etiology is essential to selecting appropriate treatment modalities. It is also essential to educate patients in a way that can be understood and...
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The shift away from opioid use in medication management for chronic pain has changed the dynamic of opioid prescribing in many ways. Now, more than ever, prescribers are under the microscope regarding selection of opioids and doses as well as clinic al documentation and appropriate action based on...
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In this session the science of the intersection between psychological factors, pain, and relief will be reviewed. Nocebo and pain catastrophizing will be highlighted as therapeutic targets for pain control, opioid analgesia, and enhanced treatment response. Attendees will learn about cutting edge...
| Video
The shift away from opioid use in medication management for chronic pain has changed the dynamic of opioid prescribing in many ways. Now, more than ever, prescribers are under the microscope regarding selection of opioids and doses as well as clinical documentation and appropriate action based on...