Therapies of the Heart

By Lynn Webster, M.D. / August 24, 2019 /
RFI—Guidance on Current Education Curricula for Health Care Professionals Regarding Pain and Opioid Misuse and Use Disorder Response

In a recent blog, I noted that I would share my thoughts about pain management education with the NIH. I did so. A slightly edited form of my letter to the NIH follows. In the original, I included a formal bibliography. In this version, I have used hyperlinks for your convenience.

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Which Drugs Do You Consider “Safe?”

By Lynn Webster, M.D. / August 17, 2019 /
NSAIDs Carry Risk

Ten drugs that were removed from the market due to safety concerns over the last 30 years. It is interesting, and perhaps surprising, that four of them were anti-inflammatory drugs because most people presume these drugs are relatively safe.

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Are Prescribed Opioids the Culprits or the Scapegoats?

By Lynn Webster, M.D. / August 10, 2019 /
Are Prescribed Opioids the Culprits or the Scapegoats?

Solving the drug crisis will not be easy. However, the disenfranchised members of our most impoverished communities deserve viable solutions to their problems. It is crucial to understand the degree to which job loss and hopelessness contribute to the drug problem. Reputable data proves that the volume of opioids prescribed is not solely, or even primarily, responsible for the opioid crisis. Let’s be sure we are not using prescription opioids as the scapegoat.

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Empathy Must Be Included in Pain Management Education

By Lynn Webster, M.D. / August 3, 2019 /

The National Institutes for Health (NIH) has published a Request for Information (RFI) that seeks input from “stakeholders throughout the scientific research and medical education community and the general public regarding the Centers for Excellence in Pain Education (CoEPEs) educational content regarding treating pain and opioid misuse or use disorder.”

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Addiction and the 2020 Presidential Race

By Lynn Webster, M.D. / July 27, 2019 /
2020 elections

The ideal presidential candidate should recognize the tragedies associated with all addictions, not just with prescription opioids.

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Will Congress Make Football Safer?

By Lynn Webster, M.D. / July 20, 2019 /
football cte

Looking Forward to the Start of Football Season It seems as if summer has barely begun. Yet the Fourth of July holiday is already behind us, and many people already are looking forward to the start of football season. Boston’s CBS affiliate recently ran a story titled, “Tom Brady ‘As Excited As Ever’ For Patriots…

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Man Trapped in a Billboard

By Lynn Webster, M.D. / July 13, 2019 /
man in a bottle

It’s understandable that an advertising agency would have trouble accurately conveying the problems of drug dependence and addiction when the media, too, often has difficulty communicating the facts.

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Teaching Children to Cope with Pain

By Lynn Webster, M.D. / July 6, 2019 /
child in pain

It’s important to help children master their response to pain in age-appropriate ways. Children who have the emotional and cognitive ability to understand and determine their response to an injury generally suffer less. This is self-efficacy, and it allows the child to feel in control.

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Who Is to Blame for Skyrocketing Drug Prices?

By Lynn Webster, M.D. / June 29, 2019 /
drug prices

This article, in a slightly edited form, first appeared in The Hill on July 27, 2017. Drug Prices Are Soaring Across the board, drug prices are soaring. Even the cost of cancer medications are so high that some patients are delaying cancer treatments or skipping them altogether. But who is most responsible for higher drug prices: pharmaceutical…

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Processed Foods

By Lynn Webster, M.D. / June 22, 2019 /
processed foods

Some research suggests that the products’ packaging can leach such chemicals as bisphenol A (BPA) and perfluoroalky and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or that these toxins may act as endocrine interrupters and cause cancers, infertility, and other health problems.

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