Opioid initiation leads to sustained use in only 3% of patients: Aussie study
Most patients started on opioids use them short term, with minimal evidence of prolonged use over five years, according to an Australian-first study. The analysis…
Tag: Pain
Opioids no better than placebo for low back and neck pain: real-world trial
Given the criticism of the researchers’ conclusions, AusDoc would like to direct our readers to Dr Sue Ieraci’s article outlining the study’s limitations. Opioids should…
Priority patients for opioid deprescribing identified in first guidelines for GPs
Patients with COPD or sleep apnoea whose quality of life is not improving with opioid analgesia are among the priority groups for deprescribing, according to…
Former supermodel Tara Moss ditches negligence case against GP
Author and former model Tara Moss has abandoned her lawsuit against a NSW GP, whom she accused of failing to diagnose a labral tear, leaving…
Call to improve low back pain guidelines, as study predicts 50% increase by 2050
The number of people experiencing low back pain in Australia is set to increase by 50% in just over 25 years, a University of Sydney…
Option of last resort? One million patients prescribed cannabis, figures reveal
Medicinal cannabis is supposed to be a last resort, accessible almost solely through the TGA’s Special Access Scheme for unlicensed drugs. Yet doctors have prescribed…
Exercise caution when prescribing analgesics for back pain: study
Analgesics may be no better than placebo for managing acute lower back pain in adults, according to Australian and UK researchers who found only low-certainty…
Why it’s ‘high time’ doctors prescribed cannabis for endometriosis: Aus researchers
Medical cannabis should no longer be ignored as a legitimate treatment option for endometriosis-related pain, according to Sydney researchers. Given various ‘shortcomings’ of current pain…
TGA backs away from making long-acting paracetamol S4
The TGA has rejected a plan to make long-acting paracetamol a prescription-only drug, saying it could “disproportionately compromise the management of chronic pain”. Despite an uptick…
An odd cause of otalgia
Mary, a 92-year-old female, is reviewed by her GP at her nursing home with a two-week history of increasing burning right ear pain. At times,…
