Opioid Use and Misuse Resource Center

APhA believes it is imperative that a proper balance be maintained in delivering appropriate pain management for the millions of patients with legitimate needs for controlled substances while taking steps to minimize misuse.  Pharmacists possess unique knowledge about the safe and effective use of medications and about the adverse events resulting from inappropriate use. Such knowledge enables pharmacists to play an important role in patient access to opioids, but also opioid drug misuse prevention, education, and assistance.  

Opioid News
January 15, 2021
More opioids for U.S. surgery patients than for those in other countries

The study, published in the December 1, 2020, issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, involved a post-hoc analysis of the data from the International Patterns of Opioid Prescribing multicenter study. Adult patients who had undergone appendectomy, cholecystectomy, or inguinal…

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September 14, 2020
Oncologists prescribing fewer opioids worries researchers

A new study, published online in August in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, takes a look at whether these efforts to curb opioid prescribing have affected prescribing trends among oncologists, whose patients often require opioids for symptom management. The research team, led by Vikram…

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September 4, 2020
Patients seeking treatment for opioid use disorder face more challenges during pandemic

While the hard data is still forthcoming about the reported escalations in opioid overdose deaths, experts believe the pandemic is exacerbating many of the conditions that contributed to the rise of the opioid epidemic in the first place. “All the issues we see ordinarily are amplified during the…

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July 27, 2020
FDA requires naloxone info on opioid labels

The labeling changes, which were unveiled in an FDA Drug Safety Communication, advise that health professionals consider prescribing naloxone when they prescribe medicines for OUD or when prescribing opioids to individuals who are at an increased risk of an opioid overdose. Additionally, a…

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April 28, 2020
APhA coronavirus watch: Maintaining access to care for patients with chronic pain, OUD during pandemic

“As with other medications for other chronic conditions, hoarding, closed pharmacies, and unknown future limitations on medication production limit access,” said Jeffrey Bratberg, PharmD, FAPhA, clinical professor at the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy and an expert on substance use…

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March 10, 2020
Pharmacist prescribing of naloxone improves access to life-saving medication

“Legal barriers needed to be removed to address this important public health crisis. Pharmacists positively impact the health of patients every day and work tirelessly to address the opioid epidemic. By providing naloxone, pharmacists save lives,” said lead study author Neha Gangal, a PhD candidate…

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