Pain Management

In an interview with Pharmacy Times, Alison Newman, MPH, program operations specialist with the Center for Community-Engaged Drug Education, Epidemiology & Research at the Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute at the University of Washington, discusses the significance of OTC naloxone availability and the barriers that remain despite the introduction of additional products.

As multimodal analgesia and novel therapies such as suzetrigine expand treatment options, nonopioid approaches are playing an increasingly important role in acute pain management while helping reduce reliance on opioids.

The FDA approved Rextovy, a 4-mg OTC naloxone nasal spray, expanding public access to a lifesaving opioid overdose reversal medication and increasing the availability of nonprescription treatment options.

Cannabinoids may offer modest, condition-specific analgesic benefits as adjunctive therapy in select chronic pain populations, but current evidence supports a limited role due to inconsistent efficacy, heterogeneity in studies, and safety and pharmacologic concerns.

Vertanical's investigational cannabis-derived therapy VER-01 received FDA breakthrough therapy designation after positive phase 3 data demonstrated significant pain reduction and improved tolerability in patients with chronic low back pain.

Minimizing sedation, cognitive impairment, and addiction risk are key priorities.

As medetomidine rapidly displaces xylazine as a fentanyl adulterant, pharmacists must recognize its distinct toxidrome, understand why naloxone alone is insufficient, and support updated harm reduction strategies in an increasingly complex overdose landscape.

The study authors also emphasized that close monitoring during gabapentinoid treatment is necessary, and concomitant use with opioids or benzodiazepines should be avoided.

Pharmacy Times interviews Benjamin Kematick, PhD, BCACP, BCPMP, and explores the clinical scenarios and patient populations that prompted the consideration of levorphanol as a methadone-sparing option in complex pain management.

Ketamine, an NMDA receptor antagonist, is increasingly being used in low-dose infusions as a multimodal, opioid-sparing strategy for patients with refractory acute and chronic pain.

Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy significantly increased cocaine abstinence rates and reduced relapse risk in patients with cocaine use disorder.

Emerging synthetic opioids known as orphines are entering the illicit drug supply with extreme potency and detection challenges.

Harm reduction–based counseling frameworks for cannabis use during pregnancy and lactation can improve patient engagement, disclosure, and safety, with pharmacists playing a key role in implementation.

Symptom-based dosing reduced time to medical readiness for discharge compared with scheduled opioid, without increasing short-term safety risks.

Pharmacy learner–led opioid overdose and naloxone training significantly improved community preparedness and confidence in responding to opioid overdoses.

Cannabis use is common among patients receiving medications for opioid use disorder and is associated with higher rates of anxiety and other comorbid symptoms.

Emerging data found that initiating low-dose aspirin at giant cell arteritis diagnosis was associated with reduced 1-year major cardiovascular events but an increased risk of major bleeding.

Pharmacy Times interviews Lorin Fisher, PhD, BCACP, on her presentation, “Gabapentin for Pain Management: Well Done or Overdone?,” presented at the SPPCP conference. Fisher discusses the evolving role of gabapentin in pain care, highlighting where evidence supports its use, where it may be overprescribed, and key considerations for pharmacists in optimizing safe and appropriate therapy.

Emerging data find buprenorphine in pregnancy matches methadone for autism and ADHD risk, supporting safer opioid MOUD access in pharmacy care.

LTOT opioid therapy declines, but gabapentinoid coprescribing rises—impact on chronic pain management, safety, and prescriptions.

Erin Dorval, PharmD, highlights the pharmacist’s role in safe athlete pain management, emphasizing appropriate NSAID use, alternative therapies, and emerging trends such as personalized care and wearable-driven performance optimization.

Explore OTC case studies focused on pain management.

Review drug disposal options and discuss proper medication storage when dispensing.

RUNX1 in microglia helps predict opioid pain relief, higher morphine needs, and withdrawal severity—pointing to genetic screening and safer, personalized pain management.

Although the rates of gabapentin use without a prescription were nearly double those of prescribed use, the trends are decreasing over time.