Journal of pain & palliative care pharmacotherapy
-
J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother · Sep 2020
Healthcare Expenditures Associated with Persistent Opioid use Among Adults with Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Conditions: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
Persistent opioid use in adults with chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) conditions may lead to high economic burden due to adverse events associated with opioids. The objective of our study was to estimate the healthcare expenditures associated with persistent opioid use among adults with CNCP from both payer and patient perspectives. A retrospective cohort study using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2012-2015) was undertaken. ⋯ Moreover, persistent opioid use was associated with high out-of-pocket burden compared to no opioid use (adjusted odds ratio, 1.44; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-1.89). Our study shows that both payers and patients bear the brunt of economic burden of persistent opioid use. Alternative cost-effective strategies for pain management for this group of patients are needed.
-
J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother · Sep 2020
Case ReportsPruritic Manifestation of Peripheral T Cell Lymphoma Effectively Managed with Mirtazapine: A Case Report.
Chronic pruritus associated with underlying malignancy can greatly hinder a patient's quality of life. The severity is variable and patients frequently fail traditional first line therapies. We report a patient with diffuse, chronic pruritus secondary to peripheral T Cell Lymphoma (PTCL) who had same day response to mirtazapine after a litany of other agents were unsuccessful.