Articles: opioid.
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The term medication-assisted treatment has been widely adopted in reference to the use of opioid agonist therapy. Although it is arguably better than the older terms of replacement or substitution therapy, medication-assisted treatment implies that medications are a corollary to whatever the main part of treatment is. ⋯ It has finally been recognized that to improve care and reduce stigma, we must use medically accurate and person-first language, describing those with the disease of addiction as people with substance use disorder. However, to truly change outcomes, we must also alter the language of treatment.
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In elderly (≥75 years) individuals, age-associated physiologic changes and a higher prevalence of comorbidities, polypharmacy, and increased susceptibility to medication-induced side effects complicate pain management. Hysingla® ER (HYD) is a once-daily, single-entity, extended-release hydrocodone formulation approved for the treatment of chronic pain that is insufficiently controlled by alternative treatments. In this post-hoc analysis of a previously reported study, the effectiveness and safety of HYD for the treatment of moderate-to-severe chronic pain among the elderly (≥75 years) for a 52-week duration was investigated. ⋯ Patients achieved pain control without additional non-study opioid use at the end of the study. Adverse events were typical of opioids. In summary, HYD provided clinically meaningful reduction of pain scores in elderly patients that were maintained over a 52-week period.
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Cannabis Cannabinoid Res · Jan 2017
Cannabis as a Substitute for Opioid-Based Pain Medication: Patient Self-Report.
Introduction: Prescription drug overdoses are the leading cause of accidental death in the United States. Alternatives to opioids for the treatment of pain are necessary to address this issue. Cannabis can be an effective treatment for pain, greatly reduces the chance of dependence, and eliminates the risk of fatal overdose compared to opioid-based medications. ⋯ Ninety-seven percent of the sample "strongly agreed/agreed" that they are able to decrease the amount of opiates they consume when they also use cannabis, and 81% "strongly agreed/agreed" that taking cannabis by itself was more effective at treating their condition than taking cannabis with opioids. Results were similar for those using cannabis with nonopioid-based pain medications. Conclusion: Future research should track clinical outcomes where cannabis is offered as a viable substitute for pain treatment and examine the outcomes of using cannabis as a medication assisted treatment for opioid dependence.
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Journal of pain research · Jan 2017
Benzodiazepine use in patients with chronic pain in an interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation program.
In the context of widespread opioid use, increased emphasis has been placed on the potentially deleterious effects of concurrent benzodiazepine (BZD) and opioid use. Although use of opioids in chronic pain has been a major focus, BZD use is equally concerning. Thus, the primary aim of this study was to determine the associations between BZD and opioid use in adults with chronic pain upon admission to an outpatient interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation (IPR) program. ⋯ Among patients participating in an outpatient IPR program, female sex and greater depression scores were associated with BZD use. Results identify a high prevalence of BZD use in patients with chronic pain and reinforce the need to weigh the risks versus benefits when prescribing in this patient population.
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Postgraduate medicine · Jan 2017
Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical TrialPrescription opioid abuse and misuse: gap between primary-care investigator assessment and actual extent of these behaviors among patients with chronic pain.
To compare the results of two open-label primary care-based studies that examined investigator assessment of patient risk for prescription opioid misuse, abuse, and diversion relative to patient self-reports and urine drug tests (UDTs). ⋯ www.clinicaltrials.gov identifiers: NCT00640042 and NCT01179191.