Pain Management

Opioid stewardship pharmacist Maureen Saphire, PharmD, BCGP, focuses on advocating for appropriate opioid access for patients with cancer and sickle cell disease, promoting safe opioid use, and supporting leadership and strategic planning as keys to successful opioid stewardship.

Brian Anderson, PharmD, RPh provides important considerations for pharmacists regarding patient use of benzodiazepines.

Jeff Boyer, PharmD, BCPS, discusses his role in opioid stewardship at the Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System, highlighting his work in pain management coordination, interdisciplinary collaboration, patient and provider education, and data-driven strategies to support safe opioid use and address the opioid crisis.

Opioid stewardship coordinator Stephanie Abel, PharmD, BCPS, discusses initiatives such as increasing naloxone access, refining pain management protocols, and addressing stigma around opioid use disorder, highlighting the importance of clear goals and emotional intelligence for effective stewardship programs.

The approval marks the first and only abuse-deterrent immediate release oxycodone formulation.

Had the pharmacy established safe opioid prescribing policies?

Pharmacogenomic testing can help identify patients' genetic profiles, revealing why certain drugs may be less effective or cause adverse effects.

The updated recommendations include CGRP inhibitors as a first-line treatment option for chronic and episodic migraine prevention.

In previous studies, semaglutide was found to modulate dopamine reward signaling and decreased drug rewards (specifically heroin) in rodents.

Pharmacists have developed an expanded role in the team-based approach through medication therapy management.

The weight loss drug continues to show promise in treating a variety of other conditions.

The guidelines mark a shift in practice by recommending a multimodal approach to opioid prescribing practices.

The authors urge that screening, prevention, and treatment of anxiety and depression should be important health care priorities for youth who have chronic pain.

The money could be used for prevention and treatment services, health care practitioner training, or other ways to stem the epidemic.

Pharmacists should educate patients about proper medication storage and offer naloxone to optimize safety.

AI and other technologies, in conjunction with ASHP’s guidelines, can improve drug diversion monitoring and outcomes.

Setting realistic goals can improve patients’ medication adherence and self-efficacy.

The injection adds an additional option to address emergency known or suspected opioid overdoses.

If approved, the drug would be the first in a new class of medications to treat acute pain in over 20 years.

The authors note they will continue to investigate treatments for patients with lupus as well as safe and effective methods of delivering these molecules to patients.

Pharmacists can prevent medication errors through knowledge, communication, and education

Results show that daily injections of buprenorphine over a 7-day period was safe and well-tolerated in patients who had Clinical Opioid Withdrawal Scale scores of 4 to 7.

In pediatric and adult patients, the top 3 surgical procedures accounted for the highest share of opioid prescriptions, indicating a need for better opioid prescription management and greater awareness of the possible opioid-related adverse events that can stem from prescriptions of the drug.

Roughly one-third of patients with cancer do not achieve adequate pain control.

Early diagnosis and comprehensive treatment may lead to full recovery for patients.

Palliative care may help reduce symptoms and improve quality-of-life for patients with cardiovascular disease.

Data analysis can help hospitals address waste of controlled substances that fuels diversion and increased costs.

Speakers at the 2024 Society of Pain and Palliative Care Virtual Conference discussed advanced treatment opportunities for patients with substance use disorder (SUD) and cancer-related pain.

This holistic approach to healing, grounded in harnessing the therapeutic properties of plants, serves as a bridge between centuries-old traditional wisdom and modern scientific practices.