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.

Increasing opioid addiction in the US but young addicts being missed

Opioid addiction has been increasing over the last decade or so in the US, with many deaths occurring as a result of opioid overdose. As a result, many programs have been set up to deal with this addiction using medications like buprenorphine. This is one of the three approved drugs that are used for this condition, and the most useful one.

21 Jan 2020

Simple computer settings can affect opioid pills prescribed to patients

Simple, no-cost computer changes can affect the number of opioid pills prescribed to patients, according to a new UC San Francisco study.

21 Jan 2020

FDA-approved medication for opioid addiction is increasing except in the youngest group

An analysis of national data on buprenorphine use found that treatment with the FDA-approved medication for opioid addiction is increasing in all age groups except the young (age 15-24 years), in whom use of the medication is decreasing.

21 Jan 2020

Collaborative project to address the local opioid epidemic

The University of Arizona is partnering with the Tucson Police Department, CODAC Health, Recovery & Wellness, and Pima County as part of a three-year, $1.47 million Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grant to route people with opioid use disorders toward treatment instead of jail.

21 Jan 2020

Medicinal cannabis may not alleviate sleep problems over the long term

Medicinal cannabis might not ease sleep problems in people with chronic pain over the long term, because frequent users might build up tolerance to its sleep-inducing effects, suggests preliminary research published online in BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care.

20 Jan 2020

Media reports focus on treatments involving opioids and cannabis for chronic pain

New Zealand media reports on chronic pain are focusing on treatments involving opioids and cannabis at the expense of best practice non-drug treatments, researchers have found.

17 Jan 2020

Most youths do not get timely addiction treatment after opioid overdose

A study of more than 4 million Medicaid claims records during a recent seven-year period concludes that less than a third of the nearly 3,800 U.S. adolescents and young adults who experienced a nonfatal opioid overdose got timely (within 30 days) follow-up addiction treatment to curb or prevent future misuse and reduce the risk of a second overdose.

17 Jan 2020

Sugar intake influences brain reward circuitry

The idea of food addiction is a very controversial topic among scientists. Researchers from Aarhus University have delved into this topic and examined what happens in the brains of pigs when they drink sugar water. The conclusion is clear: sugar influences brain reward circuitry in ways similar to those observed when addictive drugs are consumed.

14 Jan 2020

Daily chronic pain, opioid use disorder add to the challenges of relieving pain among patients

The combination of more Americans reporting daily chronic pain and the rapidly increasing prevalence of opioid misuse and opioid use disorder (OUD) adds to the challenges of relieving patients' pain effectively and safely.

14 Jan 2020

Medicaid expansion linked to reduction in opioid overdose mortality across the U.S.

The expansion of Medicaid coverage for low-income adults permitted by the Affordable Care Act was associated with a six percent reduction in total opioid overdose deaths nationally, according to new research from NYU Grossman School of Medicine and University of California, Davis.

11 Jan 2020

Family doctors in rural America tackle crisis of addiction and pain

Dr. Angela Gatzke-Plamann didn’t fully grasp her community’s opioid crisis until one desperate patient called on a Friday afternoon in 2016.

10 Jan 2020

Study: Opioid addiction care is scarce in Medicaid work requirement states

Low-income people with addiction, especially those with addiction to opioids, may find it hard to access the kind of care they need to recover no matter where they live, a new study suggests.

10 Jan 2020

Opioid addiction care is harder to access in states considering Medicaid work requirements

Low-income people with addiction, especially those with addiction to opioids, may find it hard to access the kind of care they need to recover no matter where they live, a new study suggests.

9 Jan 2020

Study: Less than 2% of people at risk for opioid overdose are prescribed life-saving drug

Only a tiny minority of people at risk for an opioid overdose actually are prescribed a drug that could save their lives, a new study suggests. And the odds of having a dose of the rescue drug were very low among some of the most at-risk groups, including those who had already survived a previous opioid overdose.

8 Jan 2020

Changing the underlying structure and culture of a clinic to address opioid epidemic

For the 20 percent of Americans who suffer from chronic pain, prescription opioids may bring relief, but also risks. An estimated 21 to 29 percent of patients who receive chronic opioid treatment will misuse their medications, and 8 to 12 percent will develop an opioid use disorder.

8 Jan 2020

Study examines trends in drug overdose rates with and without opioids

Fatal overdoses involving stimulants (cocaine and other psychostimulants, primarily methamphetamine) have been increasing over the past few years.

8 Jan 2020

FDA’s risk-management program to curb improper opioid prescribing may not have been effective

A risk-management program set up in 2012 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to curb improper prescribing of extended-release and long-acting opioids may not have been effective because of shortcomings in the program's design and execution, according to a paper from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

7 Jan 2020

Opioids News and Research

Further Reading

Increasing opioid addiction in the US but young addicts being missed

Simple computer settings can affect opioid pills prescribed to patients

FDA-approved medication for opioid addiction is increasing except in the youngest group

Collaborative project to address the local opioid epidemic

Medicinal cannabis may not alleviate sleep problems over the long term

Media reports focus on treatments involving opioids and cannabis for chronic pain

Most youths do not get timely addiction treatment after opioid overdose

Sugar intake influences brain reward circuitry

Daily chronic pain, opioid use disorder add to the challenges of relieving pain among patients

Medicaid expansion linked to reduction in opioid overdose mortality across the U.S.

Family doctors in rural America tackle crisis of addiction and pain

Study: Opioid addiction care is scarce in Medicaid work requirement states

Opioid addiction care is harder to access in states considering Medicaid work requirements

Study: Less than 2% of people at risk for opioid overdose are prescribed life-saving drug

Changing the underlying structure and culture of a clinic to address opioid epidemic

Study examines trends in drug overdose rates with and without opioids

FDA’s risk-management program to curb improper opioid prescribing may not have been effective

Using CRISPR to switch off pain gene becomes a possibility with new study

MCOD data undercounts fatal overdose deaths induced by certain drugs

Physicians and the public should be aware of several risks related to cannabis edibles

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