Tag Archives: #addiction

NEJM: Despite Removal of DEA Waiver Requirement, Buprenorphine Still Widely Underprescribed for Opioid Addiction

Posted on by

PainRelief.com Interview with:
Kao-Ping Chua, MD, PhD|
Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research Center
Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School
Ann Arbor MI 48109

Kao-Ping-Chua

PainRelief.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Buprenorphine is one of 3 FDA-approved medications to treat opioid addiction. It is the only one of the 3 that can be prescribed during office visits. Although buprenorphine is highly effective in treating opioid addiction, it is widely underused. Addressing this underuse is a key step towards slowing the epidemic of U.S. opioid overdose deaths.

In 2000, the federal government allowed clinicians to prescribe buprenorphine if they obtained a waiver from the Drug Enforcement Administration. Clinicians have cited the waiver requirement as a key barrier to buprenorphine prescribing. In part because of this, the government eliminated this requirement on January 12, 2023.

Pages: 1 2

Higher Potency Cannabis Associated With Greater Risk of Addiction

Posted on by

PainRelief.com Interview with:
Kat Petrilli, PhD Student
Addiction and Mental Health Group (AIM)
Department of Psychology
University of Bath

PainRelief.com:  What is the background for this study? 

cannabis marijuana weed pot

Response: Cannabis is the third most used drug globally, after alcohol and nicotine. Experimental studies show that THC, the main psychoactive component, causes intoxication, cognitive impairments, as well as symptoms of anxiety and psychosis-like experiences and these effects are dose-dependent, which means that higher potency cannabis products (products with high THC concentrations) could increase the risk of harm to cannabis users. 

Previous studies have shown that concentrations of THC in cannabis have increased over the years. In the US and Europe concentrations of THC in cannabis have more than doubled over the past 10 years. In addition, new legal markets have facilitated the appearance of cannabis products with higher potencies than earlier products, such as cannabis concentrates. We also know from previous studies that cannabis use is associated with mental health disorders and 22% of people who use cannabis are estimated to meet the criteria for cannabis use disorder (CUD) or cannabis addiction. 

International increases in cannabis potency and the availability of higher potency cannabis products makes it especially pressing to understand the association of cannabis potency with mental health outcomes. 

Continue reading →

Older Adult Black Men at Disproportionate Risk of Fatal Opioid Overdose

Posted on by

PainRelief.com Interview with:
Maryann Mason, PhD
Department of Emergency Medicine
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Buehler Center for Health Policy and Economics,
Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois

PainRelief.com:  What is the background for this study?

Response: This study came about because we were looking at data for Cook County, Illinois and saw an increase in older adult opioid overdose deaths.  That made us wonder if there was a national trend or the observation was limited to our local area.  We undertook the research to determine that and found that it is indeed a national phenomenon.

Continue reading →

Switching to Buprenorphine Might Provide Pain Relief for Poorly Controlled Pain

Posted on by

PainRelief.com Interview with:
Victoria D. Powell, MD, FACP
Clinical Lecturer – Geriatric and Palliative Medicine
University of Michigan
Staff Physician, Palliative Care
LTC Charles S. Kettles VA Medical Center
Ann Arbor, MI

Dr. Powell

PainRelief.com:  What is the background for this study?  What are the main findings?

Response: People with chronic pain who use long-term opioids face a number of health risks, and often do not have optimally controlled pain.

Buprenorphine acts on the opioid receptor with a different effect than drugs like morphine or oxycodone, and as a result is less associated with the risks of long-term opioid use, such as accidental overdose. While buprenorphine has been successfully used in patients with opioid use disorder for several years, certain experts have proposed using buprenorphine for pain management in people with chronic pain. We found low quality evidence supporting pain control that may be superior to traditional opioids, but much more research is needed to confirm.

Continue reading →