Opioids News and Research

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An opioid is a chemical that works by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally in the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. The receptors in these two organ systems mediate both the beneficial effects and the side effects of opioids.

Pandemic-era changes to prescribing opioid use disorder treatment improved treatment outcomes

Pandemic-era changes to prescribing guidelines for the lifesaving drug buprenorphine led to improved treatment outcomes for patients with opioid use disorder in Philadelphia, according to a recently published study in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports from researchers at Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health.

3 Jun 2022

Researchers receive $1.1 million to study the safety, efficacy of drug combination for chronic pancreatitis

Researchers from Indiana University School of Medicine are studying the safety and efficacy of a drug combination for patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP).

2 Jun 2022

Aromatherapy can help control pain and reduce opioid consumption, preliminary study suggests

Aromatherapy reduces post-surgical opioid use by half in hip replacement patients anxious before their operation, according to a new preliminary study being presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC) in Milan, Italy (4-6 June).

2 Jun 2022

Deadly drug overdose rates among Black people more than doubles in Kentucky

The rate of deadly drug overdoses among Black people in Kentucky more than doubled from 2016 to 2020, according to a new analysis by University of Kentucky researchers.

1 Jun 2022

MGH scientists develop a data-driven simulation model to address the rampant opioid crisis

A data-driven simulation model designed to help policymakers to better understand and address the nation's rampant opioid crisis has been developed by a team of scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital.

31 May 2022

Medical cannabis use shown to improve cancer-related symptoms in new study

Researchers describe the effectiveness and safety of medical cannabis use for treating cancer-related symptoms.

30 May 2022

Study uses critical race theory to examine disparities in treating opioid use disorder

Opioid use disorder is an addiction crisis in the United States that has become increasingly lethal during the COVID-19 pandemic.

29 May 2022

Washington state minorities more likely to suffer fatal opioid overdoses earlier in their lives than whites

While opioid-use cuts across socio-economic boundaries, racial and ethnic minorities in Washington state are more likely to suffer fatal overdoses earlier in their lives than non-Hispanic white residents, according to a recent study.

26 May 2022

The Blackfeet nation’s plight underscores the fentanyl crisis on reservations

As the pandemic was setting in during summer 2020, Justin Lee Littledog called his mom to tell her he was moving from Texas back home to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana with his girlfriend, stepson, and son.

25 May 2022

Stressful work environment and unemployment linked to opioid misuse among U.S. adults

Two linked studies led by UCLA Fielding School of Public Health researchers have found strong associations between drug misuse generally and opioid misuse specifically among unemployed Americans, who were found to have a 40% higher likelihood to misuse opioids than those working 35-40 hours per week.

24 May 2022

Study: Nearly one-quarter of young sarcoma patients continue to use opioids after treatment completion

New analysis finds more than half of U.S. adolescents and young adults with sarcoma-;a type of cancer in the bones or soft tissues-;are often prescribed opioids to treat their pain.

23 May 2022

Study: Liver transplants from drug overdose donors increased in the pandemic's first year

Liver transplants from drug overdose donors rose significantly in the pandemic's first year, helping keep the number of liver transplants in the U.S. stable despite COVID-19 disruptions, according to a study to be presented at Digestive Disease Week 2022.

23 May 2022

The new MADD movement: Parents rise up against drug deaths

Life as he knew it ended for Matt Capelouto two days before Christmas in 2019, when he found his 20-year-old daughter, Alexandra, dead in her childhood bedroom in Temecula, California. Rage overtook grief when authorities ruled her death an accident.

23 May 2022

New app aims to provide vital support to people battling opioid-use disorder

With opioid-overdose deaths reaching an all-time high during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new app developed at UVA Health is helping people struggling with opioids get the care they need.

19 May 2022

Study shows massive variations in prescribing of “comfort kit” medications by hospice agencies

When a person nearing the end of their life enters hospice care, their hospice agency's doctors may prescribe a "comfort kit" of small amounts of medications that their caregivers can give them in case of urgent, distressing symptoms such as severe anxiety, agitation, delirium, nausea and more.

13 May 2022

Opioid use disorder treatment during pregnancy can minimize adverse impacts on the fetal brain

Treating pregnant women with opioid use disorder can help minimize opioid-related brain abnormalities in their newborns.

12 May 2022

Quality of drug supply declined in Vancouver during the COVID-19 pandemic, study finds

More than a third of people who use drugs in Vancouver, Canada reported a decline in the quality of drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

11 May 2022

Understanding caregivers' attitudes toward post-operative opioid use in pediatric patients

Routine head and neck procedures, such as removal of tonsils and adenoids and the placement of ear tubes, may cause moderate to severe pain in pediatric patients.

11 May 2022

Lifesaving drug for opioid use disorder underutilized

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Saint Louis University found that less than half of Americans who received treatment for opioid use disorder over a five-year period were offered a potentially lifesaving medication.

10 May 2022

Gene therapy effectively reduces neuropathic pain in mice with spinal cord injuries

An international team of researchers, led by scientists at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, report that a gene therapy that inhibits targeted nerve cell signaling effectively reduced neuropathic pain with no detectable side effects in mice with spinal cord or peripheral nerve injuries.

9 May 2022

Opioids News and Research

Further Reading

Pandemic-era changes to prescribing opioid use disorder treatment improved treatment outcomes

Researchers receive $1.1 million to study the safety, efficacy of drug combination for chronic pancreatitis

Aromatherapy can help control pain and reduce opioid consumption, preliminary study suggests

Deadly drug overdose rates among Black people more than doubles in Kentucky

MGH scientists develop a data-driven simulation model to address the rampant opioid crisis

Medical cannabis use shown to improve cancer-related symptoms in new study

Study uses critical race theory to examine disparities in treating opioid use disorder

Washington state minorities more likely to suffer fatal opioid overdoses earlier in their lives than whites

The Blackfeet nation’s plight underscores the fentanyl crisis on reservations

Stressful work environment and unemployment linked to opioid misuse among U.S. adults

Study: Nearly one-quarter of young sarcoma patients continue to use opioids after treatment completion

Study: Liver transplants from drug overdose donors increased in the pandemic's first year

The new MADD movement: Parents rise up against drug deaths

New app aims to provide vital support to people battling opioid-use disorder

Study shows massive variations in prescribing of “comfort kit” medications by hospice agencies

Opioid use disorder treatment during pregnancy can minimize adverse impacts on the fetal brain

Quality of drug supply declined in Vancouver during the COVID-19 pandemic, study finds

Understanding caregivers' attitudes toward post-operative opioid use in pediatric patients

Lifesaving drug for opioid use disorder underutilized

Gene therapy effectively reduces neuropathic pain in mice with spinal cord injuries

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