Increased frequency of urine drug testing in chronic opioid therapy: rationale for strategies for enhancing patient adherence and safety.

Objective: To determine the average amount of time required to detect opioid aberrancy based upon varying frequencies of urine drug testing (UDT) in a community-based, tertiary care pain management center.

Subjects: This study was a retrospective analysis of 513 consecutive patients enrolled in a medication management program, receiving chronic opioid therapy between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018.

Methods: Data were extracted from medical records including age at start of the study period, sex, ethnicity, marital status, and smoking status.

The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule-2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) in a chronic pain population being considered for chronic opioid therapy.

Purpose: To examine the validity of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) for the assessment of function in a community-based sample of patients with chronic pain conditions undergoing evaluation for chronic opioid therapy.

Relationships Between Opioid Dosing, Pain Severity, and Disability in a Community-Based Chronic Pain Population: An Exploratory Retrospective Analysis.

Objective: To determine the relationship between opioid dose change, pain severity, and function in patients with chronic pain.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Community interdisciplinary pain management practice.

10 kHz spinal cord stimulation: a retrospective analysis of real-world data from a community-based, interdisciplinary pain facility.

Objective: To evaluate clinical outcomes and health care utilization at 12 months post spinal cord stimulator (SCS) implantation compared with baseline and a matched sample of patients receiving conventional medical management (CMM) for the treatment of low back and lower extremity pain.

Patients: A retrospective study of patients with at least 24 months of active treatment at an interdisciplinary community pain center between December 1, 2014 and December 31, 2017. Thirty-two patients receiving implantation of a high-frequency (10 kHz) SCS and 64 patients receiving CMM were identified through propensity matching at a ratio of 2:1.

The Association Between Cannabis Use and Aberrant Behaviors During Chronic Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain.

Objective: Health care providers are likely to see an increase in the concomitant use of cannabis and opioids, particularly with the increased liberalization and ongoing research into the possible role of medical marijuana for chronic pain. Recent literature reports a prevalence of concurrent use ranging from 8.9% to 31.

Root cause analysis of prescription opioid overdoses.

Unlabelled: Overdoses (ODs) of prescription opioids (RxOs) have become a major public health issue in the United States.

Objective: To determine the root causes of accidental prescription opioid overdoses (RxO-OD).

Design/setting/participants/intervention: The authors conducted a root cause analysis using the Antecedent Target-Measurement method, interviewing three types of key informants: survivors of RxO-ODs, family members, and clinical experts.