opioid Archives
Women in criminal justice system less likely to receive evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder
May. 18, 2020—Pregnant women involved in the criminal justice system are disproportionately not receiving medications for opioid use disorder, as compared to their peers, according to a Vanderbilt-led study published today in PLOS Medicine.
Study finds newborn opioid withdrawal rates show evidence of stabilizing
May. 12, 2020—Rates of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) have plateaued after 20 years of increasing frequency across the country, according to a new study published in Health Affairs. NAS is a withdrawal syndrome experienced by some opioid-exposed newborns after birth.
Safeguarding opioids a concern as children may have more access with families at home due to COVID-19
Apr. 22, 2020—A new poll from the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy found that few Tennessee parents take steps to safeguard opioids at home, an important concern when children are spending more time indoors due to COVID-19 social distancing recommendations.
Reducing postoperative opioids
Feb. 24, 2020—An opioid-restrictive prescribing protocol reduced the number of postoperative opioid prescriptions and the oral morphine equivalent per prescription.
New training materials help clinicians stay opioid compliant
Dec. 12, 2019—Vanderbilt University Medical Center, through the offices of its Opioid Oversight Executive Committee, is offering its employees an online tutorial, Opioid Laws — Prescribing at VUMC
Multisite study focuses on opioid use during pregnancy
Dec. 5, 2019—The Vanderbilt Maternal Addiction Recovery Program is participating in a 12-site clinical trial that will compare two forms of the medication buprenorphine in treating opioid use disorder during pregnancy, and the results could have a potentially significant impact on clinical practice.
Project seeks to enhance opioid care for infants
Oct. 10, 2019—The number of opioid-exposed infants who were connected, along with their families, to outside resources upon discharge from the hospital surged in a recent six-month pilot.
New tool helps predict patients’ opioid needs after cesarean section
Aug. 29, 2019—Most women who undergo a cesarean section are sent home with more opioids than they need, but a significant proportion of women use all opioids and report unmet pain needs, according to Sarah Osmundson, MD, MS, assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
VUMC receives grant for opioid education training
Aug. 29, 2019—The AAMC Opioid Education Challenge Grant Program has selected five institutions or partnering institutions to receive an award of up to $25,000 each for opioid education training.
Benzodiazepine use with opioids intensifies neonatal abstinence syndrome
Jul. 1, 2019—Babies born after being exposed to both opioids and benzodiazepines before birth are more likely to have severe drug withdrawal, requiring medications like morphine for treatment, compared to infants exposed to opioids alone.
New clinic bridges inpatient, outpatient addiction care
May. 2, 2019—New Bridge Clinic links patients with substance use disorder to follow-up care upon discharge.
Personalized pain management
Feb. 28, 2019—Understanding how natural brain chemicals with pain-relieving properties interact with administered opioids may guide personalized approaches for pain management.
