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Going forward, all my new articles will appear on Substack. This will give us a cleaner, more reliable way to stay connected with thoughtful, evidence-based commentary on pain, addiction, health policy, and the science that matters most to patients, and people interested in the health-related topics I write about.
Dr. David A. Kessler was interviewed by Jim Axelrod of CBS News about the opioid crisis. Specifically, Axelrod asked Kessler about the increased use of opioids over the past twenty years, and how we might get the opioid epidemic “back in the bottle.” Always controversial, since the days between 1990 and 1997 when he served…
Medical Mistakes in Hospitals are Rampant Mistakes in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities are rampant. Medical errors may now be third leading cause of death in United States, according to a Washington Post article. That means about a quarter of a million Americans are dying annually — not from the diseases that are bringing…
This is the role of pharmacists in pain medicine – an interview with Jeffrey Fudin, PharmD. Dr. Lynn Webster: Hello, this is Dr. Lynn Webster. Thank you for listening to this Pain Topics series of interviews on lynnwebstermd.com. Today, I’m fortunate to have with us Dr. Jeffrey Fudin. Thank you, Jeffrey, for participating,today, in our…
Karl Marx called religion the “opium of the people.” He meant that religion creates an illusory happiness that prevents people from seeking real happiness, which he believed would come through communism. Marx underestimated the continuing role that spirituality plays in human well-being. Americans Pray For Healing One CNN report claims that 90% of Americans pray…
Prescription medications, by definition, must be prescribed by a doctor. Many people in pain are reporting that doctors are becoming increasingly wary of prescribing opioid medications. This leaves patients in the lurch. People will often do almost anything to obtain medicines for their pain or to feed their addiction, even if it means buying counterfeit…
The Conversation Is About Compassion and Addiction When I published my recent blog, Prince and Why We Need More Compassion About Addiction, I began by saying that we didn’t yet know why Prince died. The facts weren’t in, and I didn’t want to draw conclusions until I had more information. I still don’t have all…
Our wise elders had a saying: moderation is the key to happiness. Unfortunately, there is little moderation where opioids are concerned. They are both over-prescribed and under-prescribed for patients in chronic pain. This results in what I call the opioids paradox. Read the whole post here on my book blog: The Painful Truth
Politicians and some government officials tell us that the new CDC opioid guidelines will reduce deaths due to overdoses. But, based on the evidence we’ve seen so far, that is unlikely. The latest CDC report shows a continual increase in opioid-related overdose deaths despite about a 25% decrease in the number of opioids prescribed. This…
New CDC Opioid Guidelines Politicians and some government officials tell us that the new CDC opioid guidelines will reduce deaths due to overdoses. But, based on the evidence we’ve seen so far, that is unlikely. The latest CDC report shows a continual increase in opioid-related overdose deaths despite about a 25% decrease in the…
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