The discovery of numerous endogenous neuropeptides that participate in the formation, transmission, modulation, and perception of pain signals offers numerous strategies for the development of new analgesics. Nevertheless, the same research has not yet replaced opioids as the gold standard of pain treatment. Therefore, one possible avenue of drug development may shift interest from searching fo...

This article provides a historical and pharmacological overview of a new opioid analgesic that boasts an extended-release (ER) formulation designed to provide both immediate and prolonged analgesia for up to 12 hours in patients who are experiencing acute pain. This novel medication, ER oxycodone/acetaminophen, competes with current US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved opioid formulat...

Recent work finds that medical marijuana laws reduce the daily doses filled for opioid analgesics among Medicare Part-D and Medicaid enrollees, as well as population-wide opioid overdose deaths. We replicate the result for opioid overdose deaths and explore the potential mechanism. The key feature of a medical marijuana law that facilitates a reduction in overdose death rates is a relatively li...

PROBLEM Overdoses involving prescription drugs in the United States have reached epidemic proportions over the past 20 years. METHODS This review categorizes and summarizes literature on the topic dating from the first published reports through 2011 using a traditional epidemiologic model of host, agent, and environment. RESULTS Host factors include male sex, middle age, non-Hispanic white ...

Treating chronic pain in the context of opioid misuse can be very challenging. This paper explores the epidemiology and potential treatments for chronic pain and opioid misuse and identifies educational and regulation changes that may reduce diversion of opioid analgesics. We cover the epidemiology of chronic pain and aberrant opioid behaviors, psychosocial influences on pain, pharmacological t...

δ-opioid receptors (DORs) form heteromers with μ-opioid receptors (MORs) and negatively regulate MOR-mediated spinal analgesia. However, the underlying mechanism remains largely unclear. The present study shows that the activity of MORs can be enhanced by preventing MORs from DOR-mediated codegradation. Treatment with DOR-specific agonists led to endocytosis of both DORs and MORs. These recepto...

Introduction: Adjuvant medications can be used to increase the analgesic effect of opioid analgesics, reduce manifestation side effects, and also for premedication. This paper provides information on clonidine, haloperidol, metocloparmide, diazepam, midazolam analgesics: - morphine selective kappa-opioid agonist compound RU-1205.
 Materials methods: A probable interaction between RU-1205, ...

The Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States published Model Guideline for the Use of Controlled Substances in the Management of Pain in 1998 and expanded it to this Model Policy in October 2004. The Model Policy is designed to communicate to licensees that the state medical board views pain management to be important and integral to the practice of medicine; that opioid analgesi...

BACKGROUND Although awareness of the misuse of medicines is increasing, data on the extent of the problem in the European Union (EU) are lacking. METHODS In order to assess the magnitude and severity of the problem, a systematic review of the literature on the misuse of analgesics, opioid substitution medicines and sedatives/hypnotics (with the exception of benzodiazepines) was conducted usin...

This commentary relates to the recently published essay in PLOS Medicine, entitled "Untreated Pain, Narcotics Regulation, and Global Health Ideologies." That essay describes regulatory and other systemic barriers preventing the accessibility of opioid analgesics and contributing to patients not receiving adequate pain relief. Four main points highlighted in the essay are discussed in this comme...