painpolicy
USA
“The conundrum of Opioids” … from the IOM Report; Relieving Pain in America
The Institute of Medicine’s Committee on Advancing Pain Research, Care, and Education released its report “Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research” today. The committee, shares with us that at least 116 million US adults are burdened by chronic pain resulting in an estimated annual national economic cost of $560-635 … Continue reading
“Who is carrying the placard for morphine for palliation at the end-of-life?”…Sir George Alleyne
Sir George is quite a guy. From Barbados, he is Director Emeritus of the Pan America Health Organization (PAHO) having been its director from 1995-2004. He has served the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for HIV/AIDs in the Carribean since 2003. He is a physician and former Chair of the Dept of Medicine at the University of … Continue reading
“Healthy Dying!” A view from the Wisconsin Capital.
Yesterday, I was privileged to participate in a briefing of the Wisconsin Cancer Council for Wisconsin’s legislators and their staff. (Delighted to say a number of legislators attended. Thank you!!) The Council serves as an advisory body for Wisconsin’s Comprehensive Cancer Control Program with representatives from all around the state. The Program’s staff, funded through … Continue reading
Reducing opioid diversion; Thinking outside the box!
The ongoing discussion on Prescription Drug Abuse has drawn me back to the recent JAMA Commentary, “Curtailing Diversion and Abuse of Opioid Analgesics Without Jeopardizing Pain Treatment” by Volkow and McLellan (JAMA 305; 13). Dr Volkow is Director of the National Institute for Drug Abuse and Dr McLellan, an addiction specialist at the University of Pennsylvania. One … Continue reading
Balancing medical use with the growing danger of Prescription Drug Diversions.
Balance, yes, balance. Even Gil Kerlikowske, the Director of National Drug Control Policy in the Executive Office of the President, used the term “balance” in his testimony to a hearing of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade this morning. That committee heard submissions from a number of people … Continue reading
