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The Perils of Pain Meds Revisited
More than 10 years ago, I wrote a commentary in The Rheumatologist, called “Perils of Pain Meds,” about the over-prescribing of opioid analgesics for common causes of chronic noncancer pain, which was a major contributor to the opioid epidemic.1 Since that time, although there has been a greater than 20% decrease in opioid prescribing, the…
Rheumatologists Respond to Prescription Opioid Analgesic Crisis
The alarming statistics on prescription opioid overdoses are well known to medical professionals, thanks to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s widely cited finding that deaths from opioid analgesics have increased fourfold since 1999.1 Half of all fatal drug overdoses now involve opioids prescribed by a doctor. Meanwhile, a lack of rigorous research…
10 Tips for Opioid Prescribing
How to manage the risks when prescribing medications for patients in chronic pain
Beyond Addiction: Medical Therapy for Addiction May Benefit Medical Adherence
Treating patients with rheumatic disease for their addictions will also encourage patients to address their overall health conditions, resulting in better medical adherence…