Articles: opioid.
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This study aimed to assess whether caregiver-reported storage and disposal education were associated with locked opioid storage and disposal of leftover opioids after children's surgery. ⋯ Level III.
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Opioid misuse has become a national crisis. In response to the need for improved standards of opioid prescribing within medical practices, a university-based academic family medicine practice developed, implemented, and evaluated a series of initiatives to ensure appropriate opioid prescribing and support clinicians in the practice in providing optimal care. ⋯ Safe opioid prescribing is essential to mitigate the opioid crisis. An evidence-based standardized protocol, coupled with support for providers and patients, can reduce prescribing and improve patient safety, thereby enhancing the comprehensiveness and quality of patient care.
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The prescription of opioids for acute pain may be a driving factor in chronic opioid abuse. We examined patients' characteristics associated with the expectation of the receipt of opioid prescriptions for acute pain control. ⋯ Higher pain catastrophizing was associated with increased odds of expecting opioids in dispositional acute pain scenarios in outpatient settings. Future studies can determine whether addressing pain catastrophizing reduces expectations of opioid prescribing for acute pain control. The finding that most patients expected opioid prescriptions in acute pain scenarios needs further exploration into other potential factors associated with these expectations. Evidence-based guidelines for condition-specific acute pain management are warranted for appropriate opioid prescribing and to guide treatment expectations.
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Observational Study
Medical Cannabis for the Management of Pain and Quality of Life in Chronic Pain Patients: A Prospective Observational Study.
To evaluate the short-term and long-term effects of plant-based medical cannabis in a chronic pain population over the course of one year. ⋯ Taken together, the findings of this study add to the cumulative evidence in support of plant-based medical cannabis as a safe and effective treatment option and potential opioid medication substitute or augmentation therapy for the management of symptoms and quality of life in chronic pain patients.