Opioid
Availability of alternative pain treatment decreased opioid use
The likelihood that opioid treatment for common neurological conditions was initiated appeared to decrease with greater access to neurologists or other specialists who offered alternative pain treatment.
FDA approves opioid overdose antidote Zimhi
The FDA has approved Zimhi, a high-dose naloxone product that is administered through a prefilled syringe to counteract potentially fatal opioid overdoses, the agency and the drug’s manufacturer announced.
Mandatory drug monitoring program decreases postoperative opioid prescriptions
The implementation of a mandatory prescription drug monitoring program led to an immediate decrease in opioid prescribing in three surgical specialties, according to findings published in JAMA Health Forum.
Opioid prescriptions following Mohs surgery decreasing
Prescriptions for opioids following Mohs micrographic surgery have declined in recent years, suggesting patients and surgeons are responding to concerns regarding the opioid epidemic, according to a study.
AMA report shows increase in overdoses despite decreased opioid prescribing
The AMA released a report that showed a 44.4% decrease in opioid prescribing in the U.S. in the past 10 years, despite the country experiencing significant increases in drug-related overdoses and deaths.
Older patients may be at risk for chronic opioid use following hip fracture surgery
SAN DIEGO — Results presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting showed one in every six patients aged 60 years or older were still taking opioid pain medications 3 to 6 months after hip fracture surgery.
Lignocaine ‘a feasible alternative analgesic’ to fentanyl in non-STEMI, unstable angina
For patients with unstable angina or non-STEMI referred for coronary angiography, the use of fentanyl as an analgesic for chest pain slowed the absorption of ticagrelor, resulting in greater platelet reactivity compared with lignocaine.
Concurrent HCV, opioid agonist treatment improves quality of life for injection drug users
People who inject drugs experienced sustained increases in health-related quality of life when they were successfully treated for hepatitis C during opioid agonist treatment, according to a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
AHA: Seek opioid alternatives for management of pain in patients with CVD
Greater use of opioid alternatives for the treatment of pain in patients with CVD and expanded public training in the recognition and treatment of overdose may stem the contemporary rise in opioid-related deaths, a committee wrote.
Medication use increased among nursing home residents during pandemic
Recent data revealed an increase in medication use among nursing home residents in Ontario, Canada, “with the potential for adverse effects” during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to researchers.