Decreased diversion by doctor-shopping for a reformulated extended release oxycodone product (OxyContin).

Background: Doctor-shopping (obtaining prescriptions from multiple prescribers/pharmacies) for opioid analgesics produces a supply for diversion and abuse, and represents a major public health issue.

Methods: An open cohort study assessed changes in doctor-shopping in the U.S.

Association between severity of depression and self-perceived cognitive difficulties among full-time employees.

Objective: To assess the relationship between self-perceived deficits in cognition and severity of depression reported by individuals in full-time employment.

Method: Individuals ≥ 18 years of age employed full-time with diagnosed depression excluding bipolar disorder (participants had to be told by a doctor that they had depression based on DSM-IV criteria) completed a 25-minute Web-based survey in February 2010 (study population identified by Harris Interactive, Rochester, New York). The survey used the Perceived Deficits Questionnaire (PDQ) to assess self-perceived cognitive impairment and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to assess depression severity.

Patient-reported depression severity measured by the PHQ-9 and impact on work productivity: results from a survey of full-time employees in the United States.

Objective: To examine the burden of depression on work productivity.

Methods: Full-time employees with diagnosed depression were surveyed using the Patient Health Questionnaire for depression severity, and the Health and Work Performance Questionnaire and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) questionnaire for absenteeism and presenteeism.

Results: Of the 1051 employees with depression, 40.

Seasonal patterns of abdominal pain consultations among adults and children.

Background And Aim: Consultations for chronic abdominal pain are frequent in adults and children. A seasonal pattern of abdominal pain consultations with winter predominance was shown in previous pediatric studies; however, no studies have investigated whether such a pattern exists in adult patients. Understanding the differences in seasonal patterns of abdominal pain consultations among adults and children may indicate that either different mechanisms exist for common chronic pain conditions or triggering factors may vary by age.