Pain Management

June is Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, which makes it the perfect time to review the stages and treatments of this painful condition that affects some 36 million Americans.

Almost three-quarters of college students say sharing prescription drugs is common among their acquaintances, and less than a fifth say their schools have established programs to deal with the problem.

The agency rejected a request from the painkiller's manufacturer to outlaw generic versions lacking tamper-resistant features just weeks after deciding the opposite way for generic versions of OxyContin.

A review of randomized controlled trials and open-label studies of 6 months or longer finds good evidence that opioid therapy improves pain scores, with weaker evidence for its long-term effect on functional status.

Analysis of claims data finds patients often receive starting doses of Butrans (buprenorphine) that do not follow published recommendations, with more than one-third of patients receiving initial doses that are too low.

The FDA will not approve generic forms of OxyContin that lack abuse-resistant features-and OxyContin's manufacturer will be able to state that the drug has tamper-resistant properties.

Depending on a patient's age, communication can present a barrier to effective pain treatment.

In the crackdown on abuse of painkillers, legitimate patients can end up facing undue suspicion.

Reimbursement patterns as well as shifts in medical pain management and in cultural attitudes toward pain help explain why doctors feel pressure to prescribe opioids even when abuse is likely.

It shouldn't take extreme measures to get caregivers to work in a coordinated fashion, but the unusual experience of a physician's mother demonstrates that it can be done.

This complex condition can be managed with improved glucose control and pharmacologic therapy.

An alert from the Joint Commission includes a number of ways to ensure safe administration of opioids in hospitals, several of which emphasize the role of pharmacists.

Pharmacists can close the information gap for patients with cancer at every stage and provide valuable counseling and support.

Staying the course with quality, integrity, and true customer partnerships.

Patients should understand how to avoid their triggers and treat painful migraine attacks.

Since the introduction of the new formulation of OxyContin, drug makers have sought innovative ways to curb the abuse of painkillers.

Patients should understand how to avoid their triggers and treat painful migraine attacks.

Patients with chronic pain are prime candidates for a medication review because of possible interactions, toxicities, and adherence issues.

A new formulation of OxyContin that makes abuse more difficult has caused increased abuse of Opana, which brings added risk of addiction and overdose.

Recent research from the CDC finds that chronic abuse of prescription painkillers has leaped in recent years and methadone is disproportionately associated with prescription painkiller deaths.

In the final part of his series on pain management, the author argues that cannabis should be available as an alternative to opiates in treating pain.