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Changing culture and improving care for patients with opioid dependence
To combat the opioid crisis that continues to claim lives in the U.S., more health systems are developing holistic programs to address opioid use disorder within the four walls of their hospitals.
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How Baylor Scott & White Health cut post-surgery opioid prescriptions by 64%
A program implemented at Dallas-based Baylor Scott & White Health helped cut post-surgery opioid prescriptions by 64 percent, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
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ED use of opioid tramadol for back pain doubled from 2007 to 2016
Although use of opioids to treat back pain patients coming to the emergency department decreased overall from 2007 to 2016, the use of one opioid, tramadol, doubled, new research shows, according to MedPage Today.
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Tighter prescription laws linked to decreased opioid use in Florida
State laws on opioid prescription volumes may help lower opioid use and positively influence providers' prescribing decisions, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.
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Plans for 1st safe injection site in US abruptly canceled
Plans for the country's first supervised injection site, scheduled to open next week in Philadelphia, abruptly ended Feb. 28, according to ABC affiliate WPVI.
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California hospital fires longtime physician over opioid prescribing habits
Sonoma (Calif.) Valley Hospital terminated the employment of a longtime physician last month for failing to follow the organization's opioid prescribing guidelines, reports the Sonoma Index-Tribune.
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Intermountain establishes opioid-free surgery program
Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare launched an opioid-free surgery program, the first-of-its-kind in Utah.
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Opioids for chronic pain patients doubled worldwide over 25 years, study finds
The number of non-cancer patients with chronic pain prescribed an opioid doubled across the globe over 25 years, according to a study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
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Nation's 1st supervised injection site to open in Philadelphia
The country's first supervised injection site will open in Philadelphia next week, reports The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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Medication-assisted treatment linked to 82% drop in overdose deaths
Medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder may prevent more fatal overdoses than traditional therapy methods, according to a study published in the journal Addiction.
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Opioid abuse heightens risk of death from sepsis
People who abuse opioids are more likely to be hospitalized for sepsis and die, even if they are young and otherwise healthy, according to new research.
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Youth opioid overdoses increasingly common, fatal, study finds
More than 25 percent of opioid overdoses involve youth as overdoses become increasingly severe, according to an analysis presented at the Society of Critical Care Medicine's 49th Critical Care Congress.
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Ohio county considers adding 2nd morgue for surge in opioid overdose deaths
An Ohio county is considering opening a second morgue to accommodate the high number of drug overdose deaths at the beginning of February, according to an ABC News report.
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Too hot to handle: Deadly opioid combo surfaces in Louisiana
A fatal new drug combination of heroin cut with synthetic fentanyl has emerged that may be too dangerous to even touch, a police department in Louisiana is warning the public, according to CBS News.
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There is no need to suffer: Why hospitals should engage physicians in a dedicated chronic pain program
Chances are, you know someone in your life who suffers from chronic pain. Workplace injuries, aging, car accidents, disease, and many other common events can trigger a lifetime of pain for those afflicted. However, the sheer scale of the problem is staggering.
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US, Canada coordinate on opioid crisis response plan
A steering committee for the United States and Canada's Joint Action Plan on Opioids met Jan. 31, creating working groups for key challenges faced by both countries, according to the White House.
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Curbing opioid prescriptions should center on pain management as most physicians stick to guidelines, study shows
A majority of physicians who prescribe opioids do so within recommended parameters, suggesting that strategies to deal with opioid abuse should focus on improving the management of complex pain patients and reducing additional chronic conditions that pain patients suffer from, according to a study published in The BMJ.
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Medicaid expansion linked to drop in opioid overdose deaths
States that expanded Medicaid had fewer opioid overdose deaths, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.
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How Houston Methodist reduced opioid prescriptions by nearly 77%
A program at Houston Methodist Hospital emphasizing the use of over-the-counter medication to manage patients' pain after surgery has helped the hospital reduce opioid prescriptions from 87 percent to about 10 percent, according to a study published in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.
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Philadelphia to root out physicians who overprescribe opioids
Philadelphia will begin monitoring physicians' prescribing patterns to identify and intervene with those who overprescribe opioids, reports WHYY, Philadelphia's public media organization.
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