| Article
How much of a problem is doctor shopping? “Doctor shopping” is defined as ≥1 day of getting overlapping prescriptions for opioids from ≥2 prescribers and going to ≥3 pharmacies to have them filled. A recent article published in the Journal of Pain Research looked at patients with chronic noncancer...
| Article
Postoperative pain in adults. Which is better for pain relief after outpatient surgery, NSAIDs or codeine? An article published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, or CMAJ, detailed the results of a systematic review and meta-analysis, with patient pain scores as the primary outcome and...
| Video
The opioid crisis in America has resulted in many changes and challenges for clinicians who undertake the difficult field of pain management. Specifically, guidelines have been proposed and effectively adopted by regulators and insurers as quasi standards of care. This has created very real barriers...
| Article
The Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NOPAIN) Act was recently introduced into the House of Representatives, after working its way through the senate. Its goal? To make it easier to access non-opioid pain management treatments. The Act hopes to “address payment disincentives for...
| Article
Challenges. That’s what prescribers are facing when prescribing buprenorphine. They face barriers, hurdles, difficulties helping their patients overcome opioid use disorder. Even though things are changing—the federal government has removed some barriers, such as requiring special training for...
| Article
The Journal of Pain Research published an article in which researchers conducted phone interviews with chronic pain patients, clinicians, and clinic staff. In an effort to understand barriers to long-term opioid therapy, the researchers questioned 15 patients, 7 primary care clinicians, and 3 office...
| Article
The Journal of Emergency Nursing published an article reviewing data from emergency departments regarding ankle sprains and medications. What was administered and prescribed to those going to the ED for treatment? Researchers reviewed electronic medical records for information pertaining to opioids...
| Article
The European Journal of Pain published a 2-part clinical practice guideline: part 1 covers the role of opioids in the management of chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) and part 2, special situations. The position paper was commissioned by the European Pain Federation (EFIC). Eight scientific societies and...
| Article
A new study reported in JAMA states that the combination of older age, dementia, and polypharmacy is equaling a potential rise in overdose risk and is not helping mental status. Study researchers examined the records of over 1.1 million dementia patients, median age 83, and determined that almost 14...
| Article
An article in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons validated guidelines for patient-centered prescriptions to increase disposal of leftover opioids, per FDA-compliance, which are currently 20% to 30%. Patients were given prescriptions for pain killers based on what they were taking before...