Objective Wisconsin is leading the way in novel approaches monitoring health outcomes for opioid-related adverse events. This panel will share innovative public health informatics methods that harness various data sources (e.g., Prescription Drug Monitoring Data (PDMP), death, birth and hospitalization data) for population health surveillance. Discussion will include topics on detection of drug...

INTRODUCTION Studies indicate that different areas of mental, physical, social and daily life functioning need to be considered in order to improve intervention outcomes in substance user patients. The aim of the study was to assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients diagnosed with opioid dependence as compared to healthy controls and patients diagnosed with depression and schiz...

UNLABELLED Factors associated with high-dose opioid therapy for noncancer pain are poorly understood. We documented the prevalence of high-dose opioid use as well as associated demographic, clinical, and health service utilization correlates among low back pain patients. Patients prescribed higher doses of opioids (≥100 mg/day morphine equivalent at last dispensing; n = 453) and receiving opioi...

Accumulating evidence suggests that glutamate, as one of the most important excitatory neurotransmitters in the brain, plays a key role in drug addiction including opioid addiction. There is substantial evidence for glutamatergic projections into mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic neurons, which are associated with opioid psychological dependence and are also the key regions of enhancement effect. ...

PROBLEM Substance use is highly prevalent in the United States, but little time in the curriculum is devoted to training internal medicine residents in addiction medicine. APPROACH In 2014, the authors developed and launched the Addiction Recovery Clinic (ARC) to address this educational gap while also providing outpatient clinical services to patients with substance use disorders. The ARC is...

Patients with a history of substance use disorder (SUD) are more likely to be prescribed opioid medications for chronic pain than patients without an SUD history; however, little is known about prescription opioid therapy in populations composed exclusively of patients with SUD. This study examined correlates of prescription opioid therapy in 214 Veterans with chronic noncancer pain and an SUD ...

BACKGROUND The incidence of opioid-related death in women has increased 5-fold over the past decade. For many women, their initial opioid exposure will occur in the setting of routine medical care. Approximately 1 in 3 deliveries in the United States is by cesarean, and opioids are commonly prescribed for postsurgical pain management. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to determine the...

The recent review by Vowles et al. 5 on the rates of opioid misuse, abuse, and addiction in chronic pain is a sorely needed step in the right direction toward better defining and understanding the prevalence of opioid misuse, abuse, and addiction among individuals with chronic pain. The authors are to be applauded for both synthesizing and advocating for literature using explicit definitions of...

Both chronic pain and prescription opioid abuse are prevalent and continue to exact a heavy toll on patients, physicians, and society. Individuals with chronic pain and co-occurring substance use disorders and/or mental health disorders, are at a higher risk for misuse of prescribed opioids. Opioid abuse and misuse occurs for a variety of reasons, including self medication, use for reward, comp...