clinical-practice | CARLAT PUBLISHING

A Psychosocial Intervention for Chronic Pain and SUD

May 21, 2021

David A. Moltz, MD. Dr. Moltz has disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Does marijuana use reduce pain and improve quality of life over time? This observational, uncontrolled trial suggests it might, but also identifies the need for more rigorous future studies.

Supporting Patients With Pain and Addiction

February 3, 2021

Ajay Manhapra, MD

Ajay Manhapra, MD

Section Chief, Pain Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Services, Hampton VA Medical Center. Assistant Professor, Departments of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Psychiatry, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA; Lecturer in Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT. Dr. Manhapra has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Dr. Manhapra works with patients with disabling chronic pain, many of whom meet criteria for substance use disorders. He describes his approach to these intersecting phenomena, the biology of pain and its relationship to the reward system, and outlines an approach to improving function among patients with addiction and severe pain.

Medical Marijuana for Chronic Pain: The Cart Before the Horse?

February 3, 2021

Alison Knopf

Alison Knopf Editor, Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly. Ms. Knopf has disclosed that she has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

As more states legalize cannabis for medical or recreational use, it’s becoming more common for our patients to add medical marijuana to their medication regimen for various purported indications. In this primer, we will synthesize the debate surrounding the use of medical marijuana for a variety of syndromes, with a focus on pain.

Medical Cannabis for Chronic Pain and Quality of Life

February 3, 2021

Pavan Madan, MD.

Pavan Madan, MD. Dr. Madan has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Does marijuana use reduce pain and improve quality of life over time? This observational, uncontrolled trial suggests it might, but also identifies the need for more rigorous future studies.

When to Stop Addiction Treatment: How Long Is Enough?

December 10, 2020

Michael Weaver, MD, FASAM.

Michael Weaver, MD, FASAM. Professor and medical director at the Center for Neurobehavioral Research on Addictions, University of Texas Medical School. Dr. Weaver has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Addiction is often lifelong phenomenon, but many patients may still wish to end treatment. We discuss the reasons why a patient might ask to “complete” their treatment and provide you with strategies for talking with patients about ceasing therapeutic treatments for substance use disorders.

A Guide to Online and Overseas Pharmacies

July 30, 2020

Kristen Gardner, PharmD.

Kristen Gardner, PharmD. Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Behavioral Health at Kaiser Permanente, Colorado. Dr. Gardner has disclosed that she has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Things are not always what they seem in the world of online pharmacies. We’ll show you how to separate the safe from the questionable, the true Canadians from the imposters, and how to save on costs at the old-fashioned, brick-and-mortar pharmacy.

The “Z-Drugs”: Safety Issues and Misuse Potential

June 10, 2020

Rehan Aziz, MD.

Rehan Aziz, MD. Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Aziz has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Once heralded for their relative safety compared to benzodiazepines, the “Z-drugs” are now known to be one of the most common causes of adverse drug events. Here we review the risks of Z-drugs and highlight updated dosing recommendations for zolpidem.

Muscle Relaxants: Sedatives Often Under the Radar

June 10, 2020

Michael Weaver, MD, FASAM.

Michael Weaver, MD, FASAM. Professor and medical director at the Center for Neurobehavioral Research on Addictions at the University of Texas Medical School. Author of Addiction Treatment (Carlat Publishing, 2017). Dr. Weaver has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Muscle relaxants encompass medications with different mechanisms of action—many of which have been used for decades. Yet most are sedating, can have significant side effects, and can interact with opioids and other substances to worsen CNS and respiratory depression.

Primer: Confidentiality in Addiction Treatment

August 1, 2019

Addiction is stigmatized, resulting in historically strict confidentiality rules. But how do we interpret HIPAA and other regulations in 2019 addiction practice? Do we need a ROI every time we communicate with other clinicians/institutions, which seems cumbersome and counterproductive? In this article we cover what you need to know about confidentiality in addiction treatment.

Treating Addiction in Patients Transitioning to/from Incarceration

August 1, 2019

Karen Cropsey, PsyD

Karen Cropsey, PsyD

Conatser Turner Endowed Professor of Psychiatry, University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Dr. Cropsey has disclosed that she has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Addiction treatment during incarceration is limited, and release from incarceration presents its own set of challenges. In this QA interview, Dr. Karen Cropsey discusses effective treatment options for patients with substance use disorders transitioning to or from incarceration.