Archive for June 2016
The Painful Truth About Suicide
Suicide Rates Have Reached a 30-year High Suicide rates have reached a 30-year high, according to the New York Times. “This is part of the larger emerging pattern of evidence of the links between poverty, hopelessness and health,” according to Robert D. Putnam, a professor of public policy at Harvard University. It’s true that poverty,…
Read MoreThe CDC and the DEA Want to Be Your Ghost Doctor
What Is a Ghost Doctor? It is not uncommon for politicians, celebrities, and other ordinary people to hire a talented writer — who is called a “ghostwriter” — to compose a story or book. Ghostwriters are supposed to write in the author’s words, voice, and style, and they do not take credit for their authorship.…
Read MoreLet’s Agree to Prioritize the Needs of Patients When Treating Pain
Treating Pain — The Stats In a recent Consumer Reports article on pain, “Prince’s Death and the Addiction Risk of Opioids,” Teresa Carr writes, “In fact, as many as one out of four taking a prescribed opioid for several months or longer becomes addicted, according to the CDC.” Carr doesn’t provide a reference, so I’m…
Read MoreThis is the Reason Harvard Business Review Got Opioids Wrong
When a publication of Harvard Business Review’s caliber prints something, it stands as fact unless an authoritative voice corrects it. Therefore, I feel obligated to comment on Christopher Bowe’s recent HBR article, “Fixing Pharma’s Incentives Problem in the Wake of the U.S. Opioid Crisis.” I’m disappointed in (although hardly surprised by) the misleading content of…
Read MoreAre Investors Earning Money From People Suffering From Addiction?
When I saw NPR’s headline, Investors See Big Opportunities In Opioid Addiction Treatment, I wasn’t sure whether I should feel angry or simply disbelieving. Are investors really earning money on the backs of people suffering from addiction? So many of us see addiction as a thief who steals our ability to think and function —…
Read MoreThis Is the Reason Behind the Current Feckless Reporting of Opioids
Media Reporting of Opioids Have you heard the news about hyperalgesia? “This is the idea that opioid medication, instead of calming pain, might actually make pain worse,” says Stephen Martin, MD, EdM, an Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Massachusetts Medical School who wrote a guest post for HealthNewsReview.…
Read MoreIn Pain Practice, Senator Gene Yaw Is Wrong
State Senator Gene Yaw means well when he suggests teaching all doctors the pros and cons of opioids. In theory, I appreciate what he’s saying and am pleased to see his support for broader education about opioids and pain management. Medical Students Receive One Hour of Pain Management Education — Veterinarians Receive More! I often…
Read MoreHere Are the Important Questions We Need to Ask About Prince’s Fentanyl Overdose
You’ve probably heard by now that a medical examiner has determined Prince, the musical superstar, died of a fentanyl overdose. While other opioids get more attention, fentanyl is the stealth bomb for abusers. Fact About Fentanyl Fentanyl is 100 times more dangerous than morphine. The dose at which fentanyl produces the pain relief that users…
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