Medical News:Academics Profit By Making the Case for Opioid Painkillers – in Special Reports, Special Reports from MedPage Today
By John Fauber, Reporter, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/MedPage Today
Published: April 03, 2011
(http://www NULL.medpagetoday NULL.com/special-reports/SpecialReports/25683)
As an epidemic of narcotic painkiller abuse raged across America in 2006, researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a medical journal report connecting deaths from those drugs to up to a 500% increase prescriptions.
In that same journal, a couple of officials with a little-known group at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health took issue with the paper, issuing their own warning against any attempt to increase regulation of the drugs.
But the article from the UW group did not disclose that over the last decade or so, as this group advocated for greater use of narcotic painkillers, it had received about $2.5 million from companies that make those drugs — with most of that money paid before they published their arguments defending the use of opioids, as a Journal Sentinel/MedPage Today investigation found.
Fueled by a continuous infusion of money from the manufacturers of drugs such as OxyContin, the UW Pain & Policy Studies Group has been a quiet force in the effort to liberalize the way those drugs are prescribed and viewed in the U.S.
UW says the money comes with no strings attached and that the group’s goal is to improve pain care and access to opioids worldwide. It says its mission is to “balance” international, national, and state pain policies and to achieve availability of pain medications while minimizing diversion and abuse.
But doctors in the addiction and pain fields say the UW Pain Group pushed a pharmaceutical industry agenda not supported by rigorous science.
READ MORE via Medical News:Academics Profit By Making the Case for Opioid Painkillers – in Special Reports, Special Reports from MedPage Today (http://www NULL.medpagetoday NULL.com/special-reports/SpecialReports/25683).
Next Page »Common Sense
While conducting an in-service training on continuous quality improvement, I asked the group (all clinical students) if they were finding the material interesting. One of them volunteered that she was a little bored because it was all common sense.
“Yes!” I said. Because that’s the key- to learn to consistently behave in a common-sensical manner.
It is the core of our work with our clients and with ourselves.
Next Page »Medical News:Chronic Pain Fuels Boom in Opioids – in Neurology, Pain Management from MedPage Today
Prescriptions for narcotic painkillers soared so much over the last decade that by 2010 enough were being dispensed to medicate every adult in the U.S. around-the-clock for a month.
Fueling that surge was a network of pain organizations, doctors, and researchers that pushed for expanded use of the drugs while taking in millions of dollars from the very companies that made them, a Journal Sentinel/MedPage Today investigation found.
Last year, the Journal Sentinel/MedPage Today found that a University of Wisconsin-Madison-based organization had been a national force in helping liberalize the way opioids are prescribed and viewed. During a decade-long campaign that promoted expanded use of opioids — an agenda that critics say was not supported by rigorous science — the UW Pain & Policy Studies Group received $2.5 million from makers of opioid analgesics.
After that article was published last April, the UW Pain group said it had decided to stop taking money from the drug industry.
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Several of the pain industry’s core beliefs about chronic pain and opioids are not supported by good science and contributed to the growing use of the drugs, a Journal Sentinel/MedPage Today review of records and interviews found.
Among the misconceptions:
- The risk of addiction is low in patients who obtain their narcotic painkillers legitimately.
- There is no maximum dose of the drugs that can’t be safely prescribed.
- People who seek more frequent prescriptions or higher doses of the drugs aren’t addicts, they are “pseudoaddicts” who just need more pain relief and more opioids.
Underlying those fallacies, critics say, is an even larger one: That the use of narcotic painkillers to treat non-cancer pain lasting many months or years is supported by rigorous science.
READ ENTIRE ARTICLE via Medical News:Chronic Pain Fuels Boom in Opioids – in Neurology, Pain Management from MedPage Today (http://www NULL.medpagetoday NULL.com/Neurology/PainManagement/31254?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=WC&eun=g281938d0r&userid=281938&email=rmiles null@null daybreakinfo NULL.org&mu_id=).
Next Page »Clearing The Smoke on Medical Marijuana, Part II | The Partnership at Drugfree.org
Clearing The Smoke on Medical Marijuana, Part II
By Kevin A. Sabet, PhD | February 17, 2012 | 2 Comments | Filed in Drugs, Healthcare & Legislation
(http://www NULL.drugfree NULL.org/join-together/drugs/clearing-the-smoke-on-medical-marijuana-part-ii?utm_source=Join+Together+Weekly&utm_campaign=d234b70b06-JT_Weekly_Clearing_Smoke_Med%27l_Marij+2_17_2012&utm_medium=email)In the first installment of this series, I discussed the fallacy of rescheduling as part of the “medical” marijuana issue. This final part focuses on the issues brought up by the governors in their rescheduling petition: a so-called “consensus” opinion of doctors who approve of raw marijuana as medicine, and, the issue brought on by the California Medical Association that essentially says research on marijuana cannot go forward without legalization. I will tackle each at a time.
The governors’ petition asserts that there is a “consensus of medical opinion concerning medical acceptability of cannabis amongst the largest groups of physicians in the United States.” In support of this statement, the petition cites the American Medical Association’s (AMA) alleged “reversal” of its position that marijuana should remain a Schedule I substance. However, contrary to the governors’ petition, the AMA does not believe that there has been sufficient research to justify making herbal marijuana itself available as a prescription medication: “Despite more than 30 years of clinical research, only a small number of randomized, controlled trials have been conducted on smoked cannabis.”1
READ ENTIRE ARTICLE via Clearing The Smoke on Medical Marijuana, Part II | The Partnership at Drugfree.org (http://www NULL.drugfree NULL.org/join-together/drugs/clearing-the-smoke-on-medical-marijuana-part-ii?utm_source=Join+Together+Weekly&utm_campaign=d234b70b06-JT_Weekly_Clearing_Smoke_Med%27l_Marij+2_17_2012&utm_medium=email).
Next Page »Clearing The Smoke on Medical Marijuana, Part I | The Partnership at Drugfree.org
Clearing The Smoke on Medical Marijuana, Part I
By Kevin A. Sabet, PhD | February 14, 2012 |
Medical Marijuana- Sabet- Part 1
(http://www NULL.drugfree NULL.org/join-together/drugs/clearing-the-smoke-on-medical-marijuana-part-i?utm_source=Join+Together+Weekly&utm_campaign=d234b70b06-JT_Weekly_Clearing_Smoke_Med%27l_Marij+2_17_2012&utm_medium=email)
Medical marijuana is a source of confusion, frustration and ignorance among many of us. On the one hand, we don’t want to see our loved ones suffer from needless pain, yet on the other hand, as professionals in the substance abuse field, we want to see all medications depoliticized and subject to the proper scientific process.
Much to the ire of legalization advocates – who banked on President Obama looking the other way while states voted to make an illegal drug medicine – the feds, working with state officials, have expanded its enforcement actions against commercialized “medical marijuana” operations. These operations market to kids, are tied to criminal organizations and their customers bear little resemblance to the truly sick and dying. There is no doubt that medical marijuana is a controversial and complex issue. I try to break down several of the more complicated issues, once and for all, in this two-part series.
Scheduling
In the wake of recent enforcement, the governors of Washington, Rhode Island and Colorado have filed a petition with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to reschedule marijuana1. Specifically, the petition asks the DEA to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II of the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The governors contend that such rescheduling will eliminate the conflict between state and federal law and enable states to establish a “regulated and safe system to supply legitimate patients who may need medical cannabis.”
Unfortunately, rescheduling, besides being an ill-advised move for several reasons, would not even solve the governors’ states’ problems. Under the CSA, a substance is scheduled into one of five classes – Schedule I means that it has no medical use, and high potential for abuse. The primary difference between Schedule I and II substances lies in the phrase “currently accepted medical use in the U.S.” This phrase has been interpreted to require that the drug’s chemistry is known and reproducible, that there are adequate studies on safety and efficacy, and that the drug must be accepted by qualified experts and backed up by widely available peer-reviewed science2 (mere anecdotal evidence, state laws or even the policy positions of medical organizations, are not sufficient to satisfy these criteria). But placing marijuana in Schedule II alone, even if it were to pass that rigorous test, is not enough to get the governors out of their conundrum.
READ MORE via Clearing The Smoke on Medical Marijuana, Part I | The Partnership at Drugfree.org (http://www NULL.drugfree NULL.org/join-together/drugs/clearing-the-smoke-on-medical-marijuana-part-i?utm_source=Join+Together+Weekly&utm_campaign=d234b70b06-JT_Weekly_Clearing_Smoke_Med%27l_Marij+2_17_2012&utm_medium=email).
Next Page »Depressed Adolescents More Likely to be Bullied | Psych Central News
(http://psychcentral NULL.com/news/2012/02/10/depressed-adolescents-more-likely-to-be-bullied/34643 NULL.html)By Janice Wood Associate News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on February 10, 2012
Depressed Adolescents More Likely to be Bullied Adolescents who suffer from depression are more likely to have problems with peer relationships, including being bullied at school, according to a new study.
And while it is often assumed that being bullied leads to psychological problems, such as depression, the new study does not support that direction of influence, researchers said.
“Often the assumption is that problematic peer relationships drive depression. We found that depression symptoms predicted negative peer relationships,” said Karen Kochel, Ph.D., Arizona State University School of Social and Family Dynamics assistant research professor. “We examined the issue from both directions but found no evidence to suggest that peer relationships forecasted depression among this school-based sample of adolescents.”
The new research, published in the journal Child Development, found that being depressed in fourth grade predicted bullying in fifth grade and difficulty with peer acceptance in sixth grade.
READ MORE via Depressed Adolescents More Likely to be Bullied | Psych Central News (http://psychcentral NULL.com/news/2012/02/10/depressed-adolescents-more-likely-to-be-bullied/34643 NULL.html).
Next Page »American Medical Association Calls for Doctor Training to Fight Prescription Drug Abuse | The Partnership at Drugfree.org
By Join Together Staff | November 28, 2011 |
The American Medical Association’s (AMA) policy-making body has called on the organization to promote doctor training on the correct use of controlled substances, in an effort to reduce prescription drug abuse.
The AMA’s House of Delegates, at its Interim Meeting earlier this month, called on doctors to use screening tools from sources such as the National Institute on Drug Abuse to identify patients who are likely to abuse prescription drugs, according to American Medical News. The House of Delegates also said the AMA should encourage doctors to use prescription drug monitoring programs, which are available in 36 states.
The AMA Council on Science and Public Health is scheduled to report on the effectiveness of current drug policies, and make recommendations for preventing prescription drug abuse, at the AMA’s Annual Meeting in June. The council will also look at whether prescription monitoring programs should be expanded to include facilities such as hospitals, Department of Veterans Affairs facilities, veterinarians’ offices and opioid treatment programs, the article notes.
READ MORE via American Medical Association Calls for Doctor Training to Fight Prescription Drug Abuse | The Partnership at Drugfree.org (http://www NULL.drugfree NULL.org/join-together/drugs/american-medical-association-calls-for-doctor-training-to-fight-prescription-drug-abuse).
Next Page »Alcohol Watchdogs Target Supersized Alcopops as Urgent Issue | The Partnership at Drugfree.org
(http://www NULL.drugfree NULL.org/join-together/alcohol/alcohol-watchdogs-target-supersized-alcopops-as-urgent-issue)The Partnership at Drugfree.org
Join Together
Alcohol Watchdogs Target Supersized Alcopops as Urgent Issue
By Celia Vimont | December 2, 2011 | 6 Comments | Filed in Alcohol & Government
Following the success of a coalition of public health organizations, government agencies and health experts in forcing the alcohol industry to remove caffeine from alcoholic beverages, a new public health threat is emerging: supersized alcopops.
These products come in 23.5 ounce, single-serving cans that look like soft drink containers, with up to 12 percent alcohol content—the equivalent of 4.7 standard drinks.
“These products are extremely dangerous because they’re cheap, taste like soda and provide young people with a big bang for their buck,” says Michele Simon, JD, MPH, president of the consulting firm Eat Drink Politics, and the former research and policy director of Alcohol Justice, an alcohol industry watchdog group. “We need to bring these drinks down to a single serving.” She helped Alcohol Justice write model state legislation that would accomplish this.
In early October, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) forced an agreement with the manufacturer of the alcopop Four Loko to change the labels of the cans to say the drinks contain as much alcohol as four to five cans of beer. The FTC says the manufacturer, Phusion Projects, falsely claimed that a 23.5-ounce can of Four Loko contains the same amount of alcohol as one or two regular 12-ounce beers. Drinking a single can of Four Loko in one sitting constitutes binge drinking, according to federal guidelines.
READ MORE via Alcohol Watchdogs Target Supersized Alcopops as Urgent Issue | The Partnership at Drugfree.org (http://www NULL.drugfree NULL.org/join-together/alcohol/alcohol-watchdogs-target-supersized-alcopops-as-urgent-issue).
Next Page »Apps For Teens | Radical Parenting
August is a fifteen year old girl who has lived in Maryland most of her life. She loves writing and music, her favorite subject is Science, and she’s a vegetarian. She wants to become a journalist and is working as hard as she can towards this goal.
Today, in the U.S., about 83% of adults own a cell phone of some sort and about 1/3 of cell phone owners has a smart phone. And what do smart phone owners love? Apps. App and smart phone use has grown in the past few years and it has created a huge market that is great for entrepreneurs and businesses. But not everyone thinks so highly of apps, especially those who do not have an app capable device, such as a smart phone or a tablet. They can be great tools for business, for organization, or just be something to keep you entertained if you can find the right ones.
One of my favorite apps for organization is one called myHomework that I downloaded for free from Android Market. It’s a very simple app that allows you to set your class schedule by time or by class block. You can then set your homework for however far in advance you know the assignments, set the priority level, class, and due date for each, and then you can see a full list of assignments organized by any of the previously listed factors. It is really a very easy to use app and I find it to be useful as many of my teachers distribute calendars listing all the upcoming assignments for the next month or semester. It is simple and makes keeping track of assignments very easy.
READ MORE via Apps For Teens | Radical Parenting (http://www NULL.radicalparenting NULL.com/2012/02/07/apps-for-teens/).
Next Page »Ridgefield Students Launch Anti-Bullying Organization, Website – Ridgefield, CT Patch
After l
ast week’s cyber-bullying incident over Twitter and the subsequent stand taken by Ridgefield High School students on Facebook, several members of the Ridgefield community have decided to take bullying matters into their own hands.
With comparable quickness to the original stand that saw thousands of members flock to the “Southern Connecticut High Schools: An End To High School Bullying” Facebook group last Tuesday, students, teachers and school officials have already learned their lesson and have launched a directive to raise awareness of cyberbullying in Ridgefield and beyond.
The organization, called SAID (Students Against Internet Discrimination), is a student-run group with a goal to become nationally recognized. And in just a week, SAID already has its own website. (http://www NULL.saidnow NULL.org/about NULL.html)
via Ridgefield Students Launch Anti-Bullying Organization, Website – Ridgefield, CT Patch (http://ridgefield NULL.patch NULL.com/articles/ridgefield-students-launch-anti-bullying-organization-website).
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