Meta-analysis casts doubt over first-line paracetamol use for back pain and osteoarthritis A meta-analysis published in The BMJ has cast doubt on the use of paracetamol as the first-line analgesic for spinal pain and osteoarthritis of the hip and knee.…
FDA fights opioid abuse with industry guidance Measures to limit the abuse of opioid drugs have been issued by the US Food and Drug Administration in guidance for the pharmaceutical industry.…
Review of data casts doubt on use of paracetamol for back pain and osteoarthritis A meta-analysis published in The BMJ casts doubt on the use of paracetamol in spinal pain and osteoarthritis of the hip and knee.…
Reformulated OxyContin reduces abuse but many addicts have switched to heroin Reformulation of OxyContin into an abuse-deterrent formula has reduced its illicit use but has caused people to switch to other opioid drugs, a US study finds.…
Researchers look to spider venom for new analgesics Scientists have identified a potent modulator of voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels from spider venom, which could hold promise as a new analgesic.…
Paracetamol use linked with cardiovascular risk and other adverse events Researchers have discovered a consistent dose-response relationship between paracetamol use and risk of mortality or cardiovascular, gastrointestinal or renal adverse events.…
Could pharmacists be part of the A&E problem? After hearing about a case where a pharmacist referred a child with a minor paracetamol overdose to A&E, Adam Pattison Rathbone wonders if pharmacists are equipped to be gatekeepers of the NHS.…
Risk of unintentional overdose higher for long-acting opioids Patients taking long-acting opioids are more than twice as likely to overdose unintentionally than patients taking short-acting opioids, study finds.…
Study highlights growing problem of opioid withdrawal in newborns Prescribers should consider the risks of addiction and neonatal opioid withdrawal before starting opioid pain relief, particularly in women of childbearing age.…
Researchers show how MRI data can help predict drug efficacy Scientists have developed a method for using data from functional magnetic resonance imaging to shed light on how central nervous system drugs cause changes in brain activity.…
