Prescribing dilemma: balancing risk and benefits of off-label migraine treatment in a child The second of a new series of articles exploring real-world dilemmas that pharmacist prescribers encounter in clinical practice.…
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.…
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”.…
‘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.…
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.…
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.…
Signs, symptoms and management of pancreatitis Pancreatitis can be acute or chronic. Learn about the signs, symptoms and management strategies for both types.…
Antidepressants mostly ineffective at reducing pain, finds meta-analysis While researchers found evidence that some antidepressants work for some pain conditions, they said their findings showed the need for "a more nuanced approach" when prescribing antidepressants for pain.…
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.…
Treatment with transdermal unlicensed medication for complex regional pain syndrome — is there enough evidence?'Case-based learning: management of complex regional pain syndrome with a transdermal unlicensed medication' describes the successful treatment of complex regional pain syndrome (CPRS) with an extemporaneous topical formulation and a positive patient outcome. However, while the observations are note…
