Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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Multicenter Study
Patients' Perspectives on Tapering of Chronic Opioid Therapy: A Qualitative Study.
OBJECTIVE : There is inadequate evidence of long-term benefit and growing evidence of the risks of chronic opioid therapy (COT). Opioid dose reduction, or opioid tapering, may reduce these risks but may also worsen pain and quality of life. Our objective was to explore patients' perspectives on opioid tapering. ⋯ These patients endorsed improved quality of life following tapering. CONCLUSIONS : Efforts to support opioid tapering should elicit patients' perceived barriers and seek to build on relationships with family, peers, and providers to facilitate tapering. Future work should identify patient-centered, feasible strategies to support tapering of COT.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
SoluMatrix® Diclofenac: Sustained Opioid-Sparing Effects in a Phase 3 Study in Patients with Postoperative Pain.
To evaluate opioid rescue medication usage and the opioid-sparing effect of low-dose SoluMatrix(®) diclofenac developed using SoluMatrix Fine Particle Technology™ in a phase 3 study in patients experiencing pain following bunionectomy surgery. ⋯ The opioid-sparing effect following low-dose SoluMatrix diclofenac (35 mg or 18 mg three times daily) administration was evaluated in patients experiencing pain following bunionectomy. Significantly fewer patients receiving SoluMatrix diclofenac or celecoxib (400 mg loading, 200 mg twice daily) required rescue medication during 0-24 h and >24-48 h following bunionectomy compared with placebo. No serious adverse events were reported among patients who received SoluMatrix diclofenac. SoluMatrix diclofenac may reduce opioid usage in the postoperative setting in patients with acute pain.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Development of the Chronic Pain Coding System (CPCS) for Characterizing Patient-Clinician Discussions About Chronic Pain and Opioids.
To describe the development and initial application of the Chronic Pain Coding System. ⋯ This coding system appears to be a reliable and valid tool for characterizing patient-clinician communication about opioids and chronic pain during clinic visits. Objective data on how patients and clinicians discuss chronic pain and opioids are necessary to identify communication patterns and strategies for improving the quality and productivity of discussions about chronic pain that may lead to more effective pain management and reduce inappropriate opioid prescribing.