Category Archives: Opioids
How to survive your first night on call: PowerPoint presentation
This PowerPoint presentation has great suggestions and tips on how to handle a night on call. It is specially useful for junior physicians and covers real-life clinical situations you may encounter.
Video lecture on the management of neuropathic and cancer pain
Mark Wallace, M.D., Director of UCSD’s Center for Pain & Palliative Medicine, updates on current therapies for pain, focusing on neuropathic pain. Overview of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic management of chronic pain.
Recommendations and guidelines on prescribing methadone for chronic pain
Methadone has been traditionally used as a drug to treat heroine addiction. In the last few years, it has gained importance as an agent in the treatment of chronic pain. As a result of this, the US Food and Drug administration has started a campaign to raise awareness about the potential risks of using methadone…
PPT lectures on opioids: mechanism of action, pharmacological effects and more
PPT lectures on opioids: mechanism of action in analgesia (mu, kappa and delta receptors), pharmacological effects of morphine and antagonists.
Updated SIGN clinical guideline: Pain management in adults with cancer
The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) updated a clinical guideline entitled “Control of pain in adults with cancer”. An outline of the contents (drug therapy related) in this guideline for the treatment of cancer induced pain include: Principles of pain management: introduction, World Health Organization cancer pain relief programme, using the WHO ladder. Treatment with…
2009 updated guideline: “Use of chronic opioid therapy in chronic noncancer pain”. Download full text
2009 version of “Guidelines on the use of opioids in treating chronic noncancer pain”. Published in The Journal of Pain. Download free full text
Methylnaltrexone (Relistor): clinical updates from two independent sources
Methylnaltrexone (Relistor) is a peripherally-acting μ-opioid antagonist used for the treatment of opioid induced constipation. Two independent organizations have recently published updated clinical information on this drug: Australian Prescriber. New drugs: Methylnaltrexone Health Canada. Summary Basis of Decision (SBD) RELISTOR The Scottish Medicines Consortium also reviewed Relistor in January 2009.
Ionsys (fentanyl hydrochloride): EMEA recommends the suspension of its marketing authorisation
Press release about the suspension of Ionsys (fentanyl hydrochloride) marketing authorisation The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has recommended the suspension of the marketing authorisation of Ionsys (fentanyl hydrochloride), from Janssen-Cilag International NV, because of a defect with the delivery system of the medicine that could lead to patients being overdosed. Ionsys is a system for the transdermal…
Tapentadol approved by FDA as treatment for moderate to severe pain
FDA news release about the approval of pentadol to alleviate moderate to severe Pain: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Tapentadol hydrochloride, an immediate-release oral tablet for the relief of moderate to severe acute pain. Tapentadol is a centrally-acting synthetic analgesic that is available in doses of 50 mg, 75 mg, or 100…
