| Article
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has issued a clarification covering the March 2016 guideline for opioid prescribing authored by the agency. The clarification came in the form of a letter to 3 medical associations, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), American Society of Hematology...
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A study led by researchers from Penn State College of Engineering, in collaboration with colleagues from Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Boston University Medical School, has returned alarming—and discouraging—conclusions on efforts to intervene in the crisis of opioid...
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New research conducted by the Yale University Department of Psychology concludes that gender biases held by US adults may be adversely affecting the assessment of pain in girls. Participants were shown 1 of 2 versions of a video depicting a finger-stick administered to a 5-year-old patient during a...
| Podcast
Washington was one of the first states to legislate prescribing rules for the treatment of chronic pain, a unique model which relied on the use of a dosage trigger and the necessity to calculate morphine equivalency. Following Washington’s lead, other states and the Centers for Disease Control and...
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A Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) released last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers updated data on the estimated prevalence of chronic pain in America. The report summarizes conclusions from a 2016 survey conducted in fulfillment of a National Pain...
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The search for a new molecule in the face of the opioid crisis may have taken a major step forward with the recent discovery of a chemical compound, AT-121, that provides analgesia without addictive potential. Mei-Chuan Ko, PhD, professor of physiology and pharmacology at the School of Medicine,...
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Many states have now taken legislative action to limit first-time prescribing of opioid analgesics for acute pain, some with restrictions of as few as 3-days’ supply. Recently, the US Food and Drug Association has engaged the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to...
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In a statement released last week, David Daikh, MD, PhD, president of the American College of Rheumatology, relayed the outcome of a meeting held with Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on the topic of proposed changes to Medicare part B coverage of rheumatology treatment. The ACR has...
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Interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation programs (IPRP) have garnered significant support as an alternative to long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain management, and conclusions from new research published last month by the American Pain Society provides further confirmation of the benefits. But...
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The terms prescribing guidelines and prescribing rules are often used interchangeably although they really have separate meanings. Guidelines, by their nature, are voluntary recommendations. Whereas prescribing rules are mandatory. It’s important for prescribers to be aware of what exactly the rules...