Journal of pain & palliative care pharmacotherapy
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J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother · Jan 2004
Comparative StudyClinician beliefs about opioid use and barriers in chronic nonmalignant pain.
A survey of the medical directors of multidisciplinary pain clinics and multidisciplinary pain centers listed in the American Pain Society Pain Facilities Directory was conducted to define those pain specialists' beliefs about the role of opioid analgesia in 14 types of chronic nonmalignant pain. Respondents also reported their perceptions of barriers to their prescribing opioids for chronic nonmalignant pain and what they perceived as barriers to opioid prescribing for chronic nonmalignant pain by other, non-pain specialist clinicians in their communities. The respondents are characterized by demographics, disciplines, specialties, and time in practice. ⋯ There is increasing acceptance of opioids for most of the listed types of chronic nonmalignant pain, but the acceptance varies by types of pain syndromes. Opioids were most consistently accepted for sickle cell disease pain and least commonly endorsed for headaches, myofascial pain, and fibromyalgia. Factors that may influence clinicians' perceptions about opioids are discussed.
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The web site of the Center to Advance Palliative Care is reviewed. This is an excellent resource containing resources that address financial tutorials and customizable Excel worksheets, development and marketing tools, particularly the decision checklists, satisfaction tools, the information on tracking and reporting outcomes, bereavement tools and a press kit.
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J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother · Jan 2004
Case ReportsModafinil for the treatment of pain-associated fatigue: review and case report.
Fatigue is a symptom that is frequently found in chronic pain patients with low back pain and/or neck pain. At the present time, no specific psychopharmacological treatment for this problem has been identified. Modafinil is a wakefulness-promoting agent that the FDA has approved for the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness associated with narcolepsy. ⋯ This case is described. It is the first such case report in the literature. The significance of this finding to the treatment of pain-associated fatigue is discussed.