Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety
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Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf · Dec 2009
Multicenter StudyTrends in long-term opioid therapy for chronic non-cancer pain.
To report trends and characteristics of long-term opioid use for non-cancer pain. ⋯ Long-term opioid therapy for non-cancer pain is increasingly prevalent, but the benefits and risks associated with such therapy are inadequately understood. Concurrent use of opioids and sedative-hypnotics was unexpectedly common and deserves further study.
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Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf · Apr 2005
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical TrialA large simple clinical trial prototype for assessment of OTC drug effects using patient-reported data.
Innovative methods are needed to assess risks related to treatment for common medical conditions, where therapy is usually patient-directed or over-the-counter (OTC), and where tolerability, i.e. patient experienced events, may affect patterns of use. A large-scale, blinded, randomised trial was conducted to compare the tolerability of paracetamol (acetaminophen), aspirin and ibuprofen at OTC doses, with patient-reported adverse event (AE) data as the primary outcome. ⋯ A large, simple, randomised trial with patient-generated data can provide a sensitive source of information on AE, particularly in comparative safety assessments of OTC medications and other short-term therapies. This suggests reconsideration of the view that investigators are the most valid source for identifying and reporting AE.
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Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf · Sep 2003
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyA case-control study of acetaminophen use in relation to the risk of first myocardial infarction in men.
Experimental evidence raises the possibility that acetaminophen use could reduce the risk of myocardial infarction (MI). We assessed the relation of acetaminophen use, and also of aspirin use, to first MI in a case-control study. ⋯ While our results raise the possibility of a protective effect of long-term regular acetaminophen use against first MI, they are compatible with no effect. The data suggest a potential protective effect of long-term regular aspirin use.