Does this opioid naïve patient really need potent opioids? Think twice
Think Twice, exercise caution and generally avoid making assumptions about patient risk of subsequent prescription opioid use disorder, write authors of a recent editorial.
A worker in his 30’s had a “fall at work three weeks ago and has presented describing excruciating persistent back pain. An MRI scan of his spine has been normal. He has tried physiotherapy and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories for pain, but he reports persistent pain particularly when trying to work. (more…)
Finding good endpoints for diagnostic test accuracy reviews on substance use
Diagnostic test accuracy reviews increasingly are being used in substance use research, yet the majority of the studies considered in these reviews do not account appropriately for the primary endpoints of interest. (more…)
Towards a research agenda for addiction education in Europe, u21 poster
u21 health sciences group 2020 virtual meeting: A collaborative approach to healthcare was hosted by University College Dublin from August 25th – 28th. Here is a summary of my research submitted to the virtual meeting. (more…)
Eight years joining CPDD drug problems conference
Some things in academia can become so much fabric of your life that you stop counting years. The conference of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) is one of those things. With the 2020 conference coming up soon, this blog summarises my annotated posters presented over eight years. (more…)
America could relax opioid treatment access policies
Canada and the United States (U.S.) face an opioid use disorder and opioid overdose epidemic.
The most effective OUD treatment is opioid agonist therapy (OAT). It means buprenorphine (with and without naloxone) and methadone. Although federal approval for OAT occurred decades ago, in both countries, access to and use of OAT is low. Restrictive policies and complex regulations contribute to limited treatment access. (more…)