The problem with prescription painkillers

July 6, 2017

Pain. It’s a nearly unavoidable part of the human experience. Whether it comes as the result of an injury or accident, surgery, or a health issue such as a headache or infection, arthritis, or fibromyalgia, pain can interfere with the ability to sleep, work, and enjoy life. There are many ways to treat pain. Opioid […]

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Now comes the hard part: Turning national attention into action

July 6, 2017

An AMA Viewpoints post by Patrice A. Harris, MD, chair-elect of the AMA Board of Trustees A father of five in Charleston, W. Va., last month told President Obama at a public event that if it weren’t for the quick response of police and paramedics earlier this year, his daughter would have died from a drug overdose. […]

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Akorn Launches Buprenorphine/Naloxone Sublingual Tablets and Tobramycin Injection

July 6, 2017

LAKE FOREST, Ill., Jan. 19, 2016 — (Healthcare Sales & Marketing Network) — Akorn, Inc. (AKRX), a leading specialty generic pharmaceutical company, today announced that it has launched Buprenorphine and Naloxone Sublingual Tablets CIII in 2mg/0.5mg and 8… Biopharmaceuticals, Generics, Product LaunchAkorn, Buprenorphine, Naloxone, Tobramycin (Source: HSMN NewsFeed)

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Overdose Reversal Drug Now Available To Every U.S. High School Free Of Charge

July 6, 2017

Any high school in the U.S. that wants to carry an emergency opioid overdose reversal kit will now be able to get one free of charge, thanks to a new initiative announced Monday by the Clinton Foundation and the drug’s manufacturer. Adapt Pharma, manufacturers of a nasal-spray form of naloxone, also known as Narcan, has […]

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Why are doctors writing opioid prescriptions — even after an overdose?

July 6, 2017

A group of researchers at Boston Medical Center recently looked at nearly 3,000 patients who had survived an opioid-related overdose between 2000 and 2012. According to their recently published study, over 90% of these patients continued to receive opioid medications from doctors — even after their overdose. Given the soaring numbers of opioid-related overdose deaths […]

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W-18, a synthetic opiate 100 times more potent than fentanyl

July 6, 2017

W-18 Last August, Canadian police seized 110 illegal fentanyl pills at a home in Alberta province. Yesterday, Global News reported that some of the pills have tested positive for an extremely potent opioid called W-18. This is certainly a disturbing development, since W-18 is a μ-receptor agonist 100 times more potent than fentanyl. According to […]

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Letter Reveals Drug Courts Lobbied Against Key Addiction Treatment

July 6, 2017

WASHINGTON – The head of a nonprofit organization that represents drug courts lobbied the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services against increasing access to a key addiction treatment. In an Aug. 19, 2014, letter obtained by The Huffington Post through an open records request, West Huddleston, the then-CEO of the National Association of Drug Court […]

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How Obama ’s opioid initiatives align with physician recommendations

July 6, 2017

An   AMA Viewpoints   post by Patrice A. Harris, MD, chair-elect of the AMA Board of Trustees As a nation, we are working incredibly hard to turn the course of the opioid epidemic in a new direction. This week I had the great pleasure to be part of an event that focused on hope, […]

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How Obama’s opioid initiatives align with physician recommendations

July 6, 2017

An AMA Viewpoints post by Patrice A. Harris, MD, chair-elect of the AMA Board of Trustees As a nation, we are working incredibly hard to turn the course of the opioid epidemic in a new direction. This week I had the great pleasure to be part of an event that focused on hope, possibilities and action. President […]

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A monthly shot for opioid addiction: An option for some

July 6, 2017

On average, 44 people in the United States die every day from an overdose of opioid prescription painkillers. These drugs — such as Vicodin, Percocet, codeine, and morphine — reduce the brain’s recognition of pain by binding to certain receptors in the body. With continued use, a person can develop a physical dependence on these […]

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