Opioids were, not surprisingly, a major topic at the American Academy of Pain Management’s annual meeting, which was held last week. The three main areas discussed were opioid therapy and prescribing opioids, as well as the legal implications of both. The role of cannabinoids (more commonly known as medical marijuana) as a new class of analgesics was also considered.
I haven’t seen many news stories come out of the meeting. I’m hoping for more press releases now that the meeting is over. In the meantime, here are some morsels:
Opioid Prescribing At Forefront Of Pain Medicine Meeting
Opioid treatment is an essential component of pain care for many patients and can be delivered safely and effectively, according to Frederick Burgess, M.D., Ph.D., AAPM president, who estimates that 20 to 60 million Americans live with chronic pain.“Knowing what the current drug diversion scams are can help physicians decide who is trying to take advantage of them,” says Burke, commander of the Warren County Drug Task Force in the Cincinnati area of southwest Ohio. “The vast majority of patients are not drug seekers and that is where the balance comes in. We do not want to deprive legitimate patients effective pain relief through legally prescribed medications because of the acts of a relative few.”
Scientific Research Highlights Of The American Academy Of Pain Medicine Annual Meeting
Despite media reports suggesting that the Internet is the primary source for illegally obtained prescription opioids, only a small percentage of opioid analgesic addicts who are seeking methadone maintenance treatment reported this as a direct source of their drug supply.The most commonly reported sources for obtaining opioid analgesics included: dealers (79.96%), friends or relatives (51.3%), physician prescription (30.17%), emergency room visits (13.53%), theft (6.48%), forged prescription (2.48%), Internet (2.9%), and other (not specified) (2.7%).
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[R]eports from the local sources indicated that hydrocodone and oxycodone (immediate-release and extended-release) were reported to be the most frequently abused and diverted opioid analgesics. . . .
Abstracts from the poster presentations are also available.