In the wake of heavy losses incurred by both people and government in terms of productivity and finances due to opioid epidemic, there is an urgent need for an efficient therapy to control and curb the crisis. Scientists and medical practitioners recently highlighted the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary model of care for managing opioid use..
Among the steps taken by different states to curb opioid addiction in the United States, North Carolina and Oregon have now joined the group of 43 other states participating in the prescription monitoring program (PMP) and data sharing system of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) known as NABP PMP InterConnect. The secure..
Scientists have identified an enigmatic genetic mutation, which is effective in negating the sensation of pain. The gene variant was recently identified in the Marsili family from Italy, for whom stubbed toes, burns, or even broken bones are a painless experience. In fact, physical pain is something they don’t feel at all. This gives researchers..
One of the realities confronting today’s world is the surge in the number of opioid-addicted babies. With heartbreaking reports emerging from all over the world, the menace of opioid crisis has taken another dangerous form. The past two decades have seen an incredible escalation in opioid epidemic in the United States that has led to..
Opioids are generally prescribed to treat moderate to severe pain. They include drugs, such as oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), codeine, morphine and fentanyl, as well as heroin, which is an illegal drug. These medications provide a sense of well-being and pleasure because they stimulate certain regions of the brain that involve the reward system. Since..
Abuse of prescription drugs, especially painkillers, has become a major health epidemic in the United States, with millions of overdose deaths occurring every year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that over 183,000 people died due to the overdose of prescription painkillers from 1999 to 2015. In fact, a huge percentage of people in..
On June 1, 2017, a 19-month-old boy in Akron, Ohio was suspected to have overdosed on an opioid while fiddling with a bag containing residue. His family called 911 to summon emergency workers to their home after they found the toddler not breathing. Paramedics were able to revive the baby with Narcan, an anti-opioid drug,..
While alcohol and illicit drug abuse has dominated the college campuses since decades, the consequences arising out of chronic abuse of prescription drugs, particularly stimulants, sedatives and pain relievers, have affected millions of American teens and adolescents. Although there have been several advances in the field of new and upgraded treatments for chronic pain, attention..
A new study by the researchers of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has found that the majority of homes with children in the United States do not follow safe storage norms when it comes to storing prescription pain medications. Using the Health Belief Model, the researchers determined the association between beliefs and safe..
The opioid problem remains huge despite steps being initiated to curtail its abuse. Misuse of prescription medications has largely been attributed to its easy availability as over-the-counter drugs andthe tendency of physicians to prescribe more than what might be necessary to treat a problem. This led the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)..