A Cost-Effective Intervention for Opioid Misuse?

A cross-sectional study published in the July edition of Drug and Alcohol Dependence concludes that the application of dispositional mindfulness may mediate the risk for opioid misuse in patients with chronic pain who are on long-term opioid therapy. The practice can attenuate opioid craving and...

The Regulatory Agency Will See You Now

Despite high prevalence and seemingly continuous attention, the clinical challenges associated with assessing, treating, and managing patients with chronic pain continue to persist. Many different forces are at play and responsible for this frequently frustrating situation and, as is often the case...

Predictors of Opioid Abuse

Conclusions from new research conducted by a team from University of West Virginia School of Pharmacy and colleagues may help to inform prescribers’ decision making about the engagement of opioid therapy for noncancer pain. In seeking to better understand the risk factors for transitioning to long...

Diverting Their Child's Opioids

Diversion has long been recognized as one aspect of the overall public health issue presented by opioid misuse, and SAMHSA has reported that almost 50% of US teenagers who misuse a prescription opioid obtained the drug from a relative or friend. But there are increasing reports of diversion in the...

Pearls and Pitfalls for the Business Aspects of Drug Testing

2016 was not a good year to be on the wrong side of medical necessity when it came to drug testing and ongoing prescribing of controlled medication or substance abuse treatment programs. 2017 is likely to be an expensive year for those who do not proactively take steps to understand medical...

The Business Aspects of Drug Testing

Surgeon General: Make Naloxone Widely Available

Last week, US Surgeon General Jerome Adams, MD, MPH, issued an advisory advocating for greater distribution and availability of naloxone as an element of the national response to opioid use disorder. The Surgeon General recommends that individuals at risk for opioid overdose, as well as their family...

Does the Opioid Threat Go Beyond Opioids?

In 2017, the state of Kentucky became the first to classify gabapentin as a Schedule 5 substance, following the finding that the drug was involved in up to 33% of overdose fatalities during the prior year. This means that prescriptions for gabapentin will be reported to the state’s PDMP going...

Overdose! Are Drug Users the Best First Responders?

Because they are likely to be at the scene of an overdose when it occurs, fellow drug users may be the most suitable targets for naloxone training, according to conclusions from a new study conducted at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. In interviews with 450 drug users in the...

Are Better-Educated Boomers More Likely to Abuse Opioids?

A new study conducted by researchers from the University at Buffalo School of Nursing is one of the first to focus specifically on the risk factors for opioid misuse in older adults. This population is particularly sensitive to adverse effects from opioids, according to the researchers. Study author...