Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Sep 2023
Mapping levels of palliative care service development in Malaysian public hospitals using the WHO Public Health Model of Palliative Care.
This national audit involving Ministry of Health (MOH) Hospitals aimed to map out the levels of development of palliative care services and essential palliative medication availability in Malaysia. ⋯ This study shows that palliative care service development in MOH hospitals is still very limited however, majority of MOH hospitals in Malaysia have all the essential medications and oral morphine available.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Sep 2023
Use of Medical Cannabis by Patients with Cancer: Attitudes, Knowledge, and Practice.
Demand for medical cannabis (MC) is growing among Israeli patients with cancer. ⋯ Misconceptions regarding the effectiveness of MC for symptom management and treatment may explain the motivation of patients with cancer to apply for a permit. There seems to be an association of young age, cigarette smoking, and recreational cannabis use with ongoing use of MC among cancer survivors.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Sep 2023
Opioid prescription denials by community pharmacies for cancer-related pain: A case series.
Pain is one of the most common symptoms experienced by patients living with cancer. Guidelines recommend opioids as the mainstay in the management of cancer-related pain. ⋯ Additionally, in the setting of the opioid epidemic, there have been reports of systemic bias within community pharmacies, leading to experiences with embarrassment and shame for patients with cancer-related pain. This case series presents specific examples of community pharmacies declining to fill opioid prescriptions for patients with cancer-related pain and associated patient suffering.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Sep 2023
Randomized Controlled TrialIs acetaminophen beneficial in patients with cancer pain who are on strong opioids? A randomized controlled trial.
Pain is common among cancer patients. The evidence recommends using strong opioids in moderate to severe cancer pain. No conclusive evidence supports the effectiveness of adding acetaminophen to patients with cancer pain who are already using this regime. ⋯ Among patients with cancer pain on strong opioid regime, acetaminophen may not improve pain control, or decrease total opioid use. These results add to the current evidence available suggesting not to use acetaminophen as an adjuvant for advanced cancer patients with moderate to severe cancer pain who are on strong opioids.