New York Times online Op Ed by PROP member Andrew Kolodny, “Opioids are Rarely the Answer”

Andrew Kolodny suggests that doctors need access to education and training programs that are free of industry bias.

Opioid Use, Misuse, and Abuse in Patients Labeled as Fibromyalgia 

Fitzcharles, et al. examine use of opioids for fibromyalgia with distrubing findings.  They found high rate of opioid use with poor outcatients are being harmed.

Veterans with PTSD more likely to get addictive painkillers

Study indicates that opioids are too easily prescribed to vets with PTSD, often with tragic consequences.

Long-Term Opioid Therapy Reconsidered

PROP members Von Korff & Kolodny team up with Rick Deyo and Roger Chou to critique the widescale practice of treating chronic pain with opioids.

Facing up to the prescription opioid crisis

A must read article in the British Medical Journal by Canadian PROP members Irfan Dhalla, Nav Persaud and David Juurlink.

Long-Term Opioid Therapy Often Leads to Addiction

An estimated one-third of chronic pain patients hooked on prescription drugs, study suggests.

Study Shows 111 Percent Increase in Emergency Department Visits Involving Nonmedical Use of Prescription Opioid Pain Relievers in Five-Year Period

From 2004 to 2008 the estimated number of ED visits linked to the nonmedical use of prescription pain relievers rose from 144,644 visits to 305,885 visits a year.

New Data Reveal 400% Increase in Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions for People Abusing Prescription Drugs

Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions Involving Abuse of Pain Relievers: 1998-2008 reveals a 400 percent increase between 1998 and 2008 of substance abuse treatment admissions for those aged 12 and over reporting abuse of prescription pain relievers.