Approximately one-quarter of patients who are prescribed opioids for chronic pain misuse them, with five to 10 percent developing an opioid use disorder or addiction. […]
Opioid overdose risk factors for teens, college-aged youth same as adults
Older teens may have similar risk factors for prescription opioid overdose as adults, a new study suggests. One in 10,000 adolescents and young adults ages […]
‘Safer opioid’ has sparked a crisis in vulnerable countries
Reports rolled in with escalating urgency—pills seized by the truckload, pills swallowed by schoolchildren, pills in the pockets of dead terrorists. These pills, the world […]
Opioid prescription doses are increasingly being tapered, often more rapidly than recommended
Stigma and safety fears have made daily dose tapering of opioid prescriptions more common. New research from UC Davis Health physicians, however, shows tapering can […]
Study reveals urban hotspots of high-schoolers’ opioid abuse
A new study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that in several cities and counties the proportion of high-schoolers […]
Mindfulness may reduce opioid cravings, study finds
People suffering from opioid addiction and chronic pain may have fewer cravings and less pain if they use both mindfulness techniques and medication for opioid […]
Alarming number of heart infections tied to opioid epidemic
An alarming number of people nationwide are developing infections of either the heart’s inner lining or valves, known as infective endocarditis, in large part, due […]
Continued use low three months after ED opioid prescription for acute pain
(HealthDay)—Opioid use at three months after an emergency department visit where opioids were prescribed for acute pain is relatively low and not necessarily tied to […]
40% of treatment facilities won’t accept people prescribed meds to fight opioid addiction
As American policymakers and health care providers try multiple approaches to reduce the number of deaths related to the opioid epidemic, treatment facilities are commonly […]
Cold weather increases the risk of fatal opioid overdoses
Cold weather snaps are followed by a marked increase in fatal opioid overdoses, a new study finds. A research team led by Brandon Marshall, an […]
Medical marijuana does not reduce opioid deaths, study finds
Legalizing medical marijuana does not reduce the rate of fatal opioid overdoses, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The finding contradicts […]
Video: Fighting the opioid epidemic with data
In an effort to stay a step ahead of the opioid epidemic, UConn Health is part of a collaboration with the state Department of Public […]
To address the opioid crisis we need to do more to support people suffering from opioid use disorder
In 2017 alone, 47,600 Americans died from opioid overdoses. That’s 130 people every day. The rate of opioid prescriptions has dropped steadily since 2012, but […]
Dramatic shifts in first-time opioid prescriptions bring hope, concern
A national call for restraint in opioid prescribing has yielded dramatic progress in clinician prescribing patterns, with some notable room for improvement. These are the […]