This is the first volume of the long-awaited research report on a much discussed study on the prescription of heroin and other narcotics to chronic heroin addicts in Switzerland. Data were collected over a period of 3 years on a cohort of 1,035 chronic heroin addicts who had failed in drug-free or methadone substitution treatments and who were prescribed heroin, morphine or methadone within the framework of a comprehensive care program. According to the findings of the study, heroin maintenance is considered to have a positive effect on both patients and their social environment due to an improvement in health and social status of the patients as well as a significant decrease in drug-related delinquency. This report provides a unique source of information on pharmacological, medical and psychosocial aspects of heroin maintenance. It is indispensable reading for psychiatrists, doctors, and social workers working with drug addicts as well as for pharmacologists, social scientists, criminologists and public health officials concerned with the treatment and management of drug addiction.

The opioid crisis in the United States has come about because of excessive use of these drugs for both legal and illicit purposes and unprecedented levels of consequent opioid use disorder (OUD). More than 2 million people in the United States are estimated to have OUD, which is caused by prolonged use of prescription opioids, heroin, or other illicit opioids. OUD is a life-threatening condition associated with a 20-fold greater risk of early death due to overdose, infectious diseases, trauma, and suicide. Mortality related to OUD continues to escalate as this public health crisis gathers momentum across the country, with opioid overdoses killing more than 47,000 people in 2017 in the United States. Efforts to date have made no real headway in stemming this crisis, in large part because tools that already existâ€"like evidence-based medicationsâ€"are not being deployed to maximum impact. To support the dissemination of accurate patient-focused information about treatments for addiction, and to help provide scientific solutions to the current opioid crisis, this report studies the evidence base on medication assisted treatment (MAT) for OUD. It examines available evidence on the range of parameters and circumstances in which MAT can be effectively delivered and identifies additional research needed.

Drug overdose, driven largely by overdose related to the use of opioids, is now the leading cause of unintentional injury death in the United States. The ongoing opioid crisis lies at the intersection of two public health challenges: reducing the burden of suffering from pain and containing the rising toll of the harms that can arise from the use of opioid medications. Chronic pain and opioid use disorder both represent complex human conditions affecting millions of Americans and causing untold disability and loss of function. In the context of the growing opioid problem, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched an Opioids Action Plan in early 2016. As part of this plan, the FDA asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to convene a committee to update the state of the science on pain research, care, and education and to identify actions the FDA and others can take to respond to the opioid epidemic, with a particular focus on informing FDA's development of a formal method for incorporating individual and societal considerations into its risk-benefit framework for opioid approval and monitoring.

This volume represents edited material that was presented at a conference on brainstem modulation of spinal nociception held in Beaune, France during July, 1987. Pain Modulation, Volume 77 in the series Progress in Brain Research reviews, analyses and suggests new research strategies on several relevant topics including: the endogenous opioid peptides; sites of action of opiates; the role of biogenic animes and non-opioid peptides in analgesia; dorsal horn circuitry; behavioural factors in the activation of pain modulating networks and clinical studies of nociceptive modulation.

The ultimate Canadian guide to prescription medication Over half of all Canadians take at least one prescription drug, but most of us know very little about the medication we're taking, including why we've been prescribed anything in the first place. Understanding Prescription Drugs Canadians For Dummies will answer many of the questions Canadians have about prescription drugs, but were afraid ask our doctors and pharmacists. Topics covered include: * What a prescription drug is * Common concerns * Side effects * Ailments and drugs used to treat them * Prescribing practices Understanding Prescription Drugs For Canadians For Dummies will go beyond the encyclopedic and often overwhelming information offered in massive pill books on the Web. It will empower readers, providing them with the knowledge they need as responsible consumers.

Lifesaving information at your fingertips … Prescription drugs are expensive, often have side effects, and are marketed by a variety of different names. Even doctors aren’t always able to explain their full range of uses. Here is the first comprehensive popular reference book on prescription drugs organized alphabetically by medical condition rather than by drug. Written in clear layman’s language, this groundbreaking guide empowers patients by delivering everything they need to know about this all-important subject. • First book to be organized alphabetically by the 85 most common medical conditions • Features an in-depth listing of which drugs are prescribed for each condition, how they work, their side effects, and typical dosages • Includes a chart listing the various names of drugs in the marketplace and their generic equivalents, plus other money-saving tips • Up-to-the-minute information on FDA rules and regulations • Complete glossary of medical terms

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