News | Chronic pain

News

Triptans should be considered as preferred first-line treatment for acute migraine, research concludes

From head-to-head comparisons between active interventions, the meta-analysis showed that eletriptan was the most effective drug for pain freedom at two hours post dose.…

Published: 27 September 2024

News

One in ten people with chronic pain could experience opioid dependence, suggest study results

The pooled prevalence of dependence and opioid use disorder was 9.3% across 148 studies, but the researchers say high heterogeneity means the results should be “interpreted with caution”.…

Published: 9 August 2024

Feature

Changes in migraine treatment: how new classes of drugs can provide additional options for patients and prescribers

This episode of The PJ Pod looks at recent changes to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance on the treatment of acute and chronic migraine and what pharmacists should expect from the new class of gepant drugs.…

Published: 2 August 2024

News

Pharmacists to be central in delivery of campaign to cut prescribing of high-risk pain medicines

NHS Fife's 'Pain Talking' campaign is aimed at giving patients better control over chronic pain management and promoting non-medical treatment.…

Published: 10 June 2024

Feature

Demystifying medical cannabis: five years on from legalisation

Although medical cannabis was legalised in the UK in 2018, a lack of evidence for unlicensed products has meant NHS prescribing is still extremely limited while the private market continues to grow.…

Published: 28 September 2023

Opinion

‘Painkillers don’t exist’: how our campaign helped to reduce opioid prescribing

Educating patients on the risks of analgesics and non-pharmacological alternatives has helped North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board reduce opioid prescribing.…

Published: 3 July 2023

News

One in five patients stop taking opioids for chronic pain after group support intervention, finds study

Of patients assigned to participate in group and 1-on-1 support sessions as part of their care, 29% had stopped taking opioids at the 12-month follow up, compared with 7% who received usual care.…

Published: 26 May 2023

News

No antidepressant found to be effective and safe for chronic pain, evidence review shows

The review of 176 studies included patients with a range of chronic pain conditions, including fibromyalgia, neuropathic pain and musculoskeletal pain.…

Published: 15 May 2023

Feature

Cannabis for chronic pain: the stand-off

In the UK, the standing of cannabis as a member of the analgesic pharmacopeia is somewhat nebulous, and there are strong opinions on both sides about whether there is enough evidence for its effectiveness.…

Published: 4 May 2023

Feature

Should we be genetic testing before prescribing analgesics?

Managing pain is difficult because there are various factors that can influence how it is perceived, but pharmacogenomic testing may be able to help fine tune pharmaceutical interventions.…

Published: 5 January 2023