Journal of opioid management
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Tolerability and efficacy of two synergistic ratios of oral morphine and oxycodone combinations versus morphine in patients with chronic noncancer pain.
Analgesic synergy and improved tolerability have been reported for flexible dose morphine and oxycodone combinations. This report describes two studies with similar double-blind, randomized, 7-day crossover designs (up to 7 days per arm) conducted to 1) explore the analgesic and safety benefit offixed ratio of morphine (M) and oxycodone (0) combinations (MOX) and 2) define the optimal ratio for morphine and oxycodone combination. ⋯ A 3:2 or 1:2 fixed ratio combination of morphine and oxycodone (MOX) produced analgesic synergy and a tolerability profile improvement in patients with chronic noncancer pain.
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To determine whether there are differences in the personal socioeconomic costs of healthcare access between transdermal (TD) and oral opioid use in a rural population with chronic noncancer pain (CNCP). ⋯ The personal socioeconomic costs of healthcare access for rural patients with CNCP are similar for TD and oral opioid use. The prolonged analgesic affect of TD opioids may be advantageous for rural population.
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EMBEDA@ (morphine sulfate and naltrexone hydrochloride) extended-release capsules, indicated for management of chronic, moderate-to-severe pain, contain pellets of morphine sulfate with a core of sequestered naltrexone, an opioid antagonist. ⋯ Results suggest that the safety profile of EMBEDA is consistent with that of an extended-release morphine formulation. Reports of exposure to tampered product yielded either withdrawal reactions or events not typical of opioid abuse. The clinical effects of EMBEDA in the context of misuse and abuse require further clinical and epidemiological exploration.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A comparative study on the effects of intrathecal morphine added to levobupivacaine for spinal anesthesia.
In this prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled study, we investigated the sensory, motor, and analgesic block characteristics oftwo diferent doses of morphine compared with saline when added to 0.5 percent levobupivacaine. ⋯ In patients undergoing cesarean delivery with CSEA, adding intrathecal morphine (0.1 and 0.2 mg) to 15 mg of spinal levobupivacaine prolonged the duration of spinal analgesia and provided rapid onset of action and longer time to first analgesic request without causing any significant side effect compared to saline.
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In response to the need for physician education on proper opioid prescribing, the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the FSMB Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the FSMB, commissioned and distributed Responsible Opioid Use: A Physician's Guide to more than 165, 000 licensed physicians in the United States. The book, written by pain management specialist Scott Fishman, MD, seeks tofurtherphysicians' continuing medical education by providing information on how to properly prescribe opioids to treat patients in pain. Although the book has been widely distributed, there have been no systematic studies of its impact. To address this knowledge gap, the authors surveyed licensed physicians in Georgia who received a copy of the book to determine whether it added to their knowledge about prescribing opioids, and if they planned to make changes in theirpractice based on reading the book. ⋯ The results from this state-wide survey of licensed physicians demonstrate the value of educating physicians about how to appropriately prescribe, document, and treat patients who need opioid medications for pain management. The findings should be of value to organizations seeking to better educate physicians about appropriate opioid prescribing by providing insight into which physician population would be the most receptive to the type of information presented in Dr. Fishman's book. When faced with limited resources, an organizational strategy that first targets solo and primary care practitioners may improve physician educational efforts about prescribing opioids better than a strategy targeting medical and surgical specialists or those physicians participating in group practice settings.