Breaking
News
This section includes a wide variety of pain management stories, arranged by date and type (not significance), which have appeared in the popular media (print, broadcast, and on-line) in the last month. Because of the volume of stories, only the first few are included on the main page. Be sure to click on "More Stories" at the bottom of each front page section.
Pain Studies In The News
Morphine: A Comfort Measure For The Dying Or Pain Control For The Living?
December 11, 2007
Cancer patients are suffering unnecessarily because they wrongly believe
that morphine and other opioids are only used as "comfort for the dying" and
as a "last resort" rather than seeing them as legitimate pain killers that
can improve their quality of life. Story
Comprehensive Canadian survey reveals significant gaps in treating "Paradigm
of Pain" Chronic pain sufferers identify sleep and psychological impacts
that affect everyday life often not recognized or treated
December 11, 2007
A new Canadian survey indicates that chronic pain sufferers experience
psychological
symptoms such as anxiety and depression and report that their condition
affects their ability to sleep. When they speak to their health care
professionals, patients often do not receive treatment for these other
conditions. Story
More Pain Studies In The News
Pain Stories In The News
Circle of Care collaborative aims to reduce barriers to recognition and treatment of fibromyalgia
December 5, 2007
“The Fibromyalgia Circle of Care” a new collaboration between the National Fibromyalgia Association (“NFA”), Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and The Institute for Johns Hopkins Nursing has developed three annual initiatives designed to address the ongoing challenges faced by healthcare providers in the diagnosis and management of fibromyalgia patients. Story
Exercise can help ease knee pain
December 4, 2007
Pain in the kneecap is a common problem -- with many causes. Often, recovery includes exercises to strengthen the muscles that support the knee, as well as stretching tight muscles and thighs. A doctor or physical therapist can recommend simple at-home exercises and stretches that can help most people reduce knee pain, including hamstring stretches and exercises that strengthen leg muscles Story
More Pain Stories In The News
Prescription Addiction, Diversion, and Abuse
Study: Teen abuse of painkillers a persistent ill
December 11, 2007
Teen drug use continues its overall decline, but that progress does not
extend to powerful prescription painkillers, such as OxyContin and Vicodin,
a new national study shows. The report found that teen use of the highly
addictive narcotic painkillers is second only to marijuana use. Story
Policy and Law
AAPM statement on DEA ruling allowing multiple prescriptions for controlled substances
November 19, 2007
The American Academy of Pain Medicine supports the Drug Enforcement Administration ruling, which allows multiple prescriptions for controlled substances when appropriate. This DEA Final Ruling, “Issuance of Multiple Prescriptions for Schedule II Controlled Substances,” was published in the Federal Register on Monday, Nov. 19, 2007. Story
Final DEA regulations on issuance of multiple prescriptions for schedule II controlled substances published in federal register.
November 19, 2007
Summary: The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is finalizing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published on September 6, 2006 (71 FR 52724). In that document, DEA proposed to amend its regulations to allow practitioners to provide individual patients with multiple prescriptions, to be filled sequentially, for the same schedule II controlled substance, with such multiple prescriptions having the combined effect of allowing a patient to receive over time up to a 90-day supply of that controlled substance.
Effective Date: This rule is effective December 19, 2007. Full text
News From Industry Sources
Pine bark naturally reduces osteoarthritis knee pain
December 6, 2007
A double-blind, placebo-controlled study reveals Pycnogenol, (pic-noj-en-all), an antioxidant plant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree, improved physical function by 52 percent in patients suffering from Osteoarthritis. Story
UCB Announces FDA filing for lacosamide in the treatment of diabetic neuropathic pain
November 29, 2007
UCB announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for filing the New Drug Application (NDA) for the use of lacosamide in the treatment of diabetic neuropathic pain. The application relates to the tablet formulation of lacosamide, whose proposed trade name is Vimpat(TM). Story
Alpharma's phase III pivotal clinical placebo-controlled trial of its abuse-deterrent, extended-release opioid demonstrates significant efficacy
November 29, 2007
Alpharma Inc., announced positive results from its Phase III double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pivotal efficacy trial for its abuse-deterrent, extended-release opioid, ALO-01. In this multi-center trial of over 500 patients, ALO-01 demonstrated significant pain relief (p < 0.05). This primary endpoint was agreed to by the FDA via the Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) process. Story
Milnacipran demonstrated significant improvement in pain and the core symptoms of fibromyalgia syndrome
November 8, 2007
Total daily dosages of milnacipran 100 mg and 200 mg demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in both pain and other core symptoms associated with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), according to Phase III data.. The therapeutic effects of milnacipran among responders in a six-month study were sustained for up to one year in a double-blind extension trial. Story
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