J Am Board Fam Med
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Review
Opioid analgesics in primary care: challenges and new advances in the management of noncancer pain.
Primary care attitudes affecting the use of strong opioids in pain management have changed considerably in the last 3 decades. Forces that have shaped current attitudes and trends in opioid prescribing include historical influences, regulatory factors, and technologic and scientific advances. The article identifies for primary care physicians the current challenges and issues surrounding the use of opioid analgesics for noncancer pain and examines how new technology and expanding knowledge have been applied to existing opioids such as morphine, oxymorphone, and fentanyl to address continuing challenges in pain management.
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Comparative Study
Religious attendance: more cost-effective than lipitor?
A recent meta-analysis demonstrates a robust but small association between weekly religious attendance and longer life. However, the practical significance of this finding remains controversial. ⋯ The real-world, practical significance of regular religious attendance is comparable to commonly recommended therapies, and rough estimates even suggest that religious attendance may be more cost-effective than statins. Religious attendance is not a mode of medical therapy, but these findings warrant more and better quality research designed to examine the associations between religion and health, and the potential relevance such associations might have for medical practice.
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Prescription errors threaten patient safety and pharmacists often contact providers for prescription clarification. This study describes the principal reasons pharmacies call primary care practices to clarify prescriptions and subsequent implications for quality and patient safety improvement. ⋯ Clarification calls made to primary care practices involve administrative and clinical issues, potentially impacting patient safety. Pharmacy callback data can identify potential prescription concerns, thereby helping practices develop interventions aimed at reducing errors and improving patient safety.