An article by Padma Gulur et al. in Pain Research and Treatment Volume 2015 (2015), Article ID 482081 looked at morphine and hydromorphone use. Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) is up to 7.5 times as potent as morphine and its use has dramatically increased in the past decade. This study has some great background information and resources which… Read More
Emergency physicians prescribe less than 5% of all opiate prescriptions in the United States. Furthermore, emergency physicians had the highest decrease (-8.9%) of all medical specialties in opiate prescriptions from 2010-2012. Although there is an opioid epidemic, the data shows that emergency physicians are part of the solution. Overall, opiate prescriptions increased by 11.7%… Read More
As the number of overdoses linked to the potent painkiller fentanyl has grown over the past two days to 48, nearly two weeks after the first reports of such overdoses began popping up in the Sacramento region, the Sacramento County Department of Health and Human Services reported Wednesday. No additional deaths have been reported, leaving… Read More
A national physician survey released by the AMA on February 16, 2016 identified ways to decrease opiate overdoses. The survey had five main findings: 1. PDMPs are valuable tools: 87 percent of physicians agree that PDMPs help them become more informed about a patient’s prescription history. 2. PDMPs need changes to be more beneficial: Physicians… Read More
There are significant concerns about the safety of Zohydro ER, a long acting opiate. This article explores potential issues regarding the approval of this medication. Source: Critics of Zohydro ER Approval Suspect Conflict of Interest with Pharmaceutical Industry – ACEP Now… Read More
Naloxone to Reduce Opiate Overdose Deaths Raises Cost, Liability, and Possible Safety Concerns Source: Naloxone to Reduce Opiate Overdose Deaths Raises Cost, Liability, and Safety Concerns… Read More
