In response to concerns about overdose deaths in the U.S. due to prescribed opioid pain killers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new guidelines to help primary care doctors determine when and how best to prescribe them to patients, particularly those with noncancer-related chronic pain. The CDC recommends physicians avoid prescribing opioids such as oxycodone and morphine to most chronic pain patients because the risks of possible overdose or addiction may outweigh the benefits. However, the CDC says the limits on opioid use should not apply to patients with pain due to cancer or end-of-life issues.

Mayo Clinic addiction specialist Dr. Jon Ebbert refers to the opioid situation as a public health crisis. He says, "We must balance the need to develop innovative ways to control this public health crisis with the need to provide patients with chronic pain adequate pain control. Unfortunately, medicine is in desperate want of cost-effective nonopioid pain control modalities."

Dr. Ebbert believes the new treatment guidelines are necessary, but not sufficient to address a public health crisis of the magnitude seen with prescribed opioids. He adds, "Addressing the epidemic by modifying the behavior of primary care clinicians can only be effective if accompanied by substantial changes in national policy."

To be successful, Dr. Ebbert recommends these changes:

• Challenge the need for U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for newer and more powerful opioids
• Increase health insurance coverage of nonopioid modalities for pain control
• Broaden the coverage of addiction treatment and mental health services
• Liberalize the requirements for office-based addiction treatment
• Expand the number of front-line clinicians with training in addiction medicine

Related stories:

• The Overdose Epidemic: Heroin and Prescription Drugs (Dec. 22, 2015)
• 1 in 4 People Prescribed Opioids Progressed to Longer-Term Prescriptions (July 1, 2015)
• Mayo Clinic Q & A: Specialists in Pain Management Help Patients Cope with Chronic Pain (Dec. 16, 2015)

The post Opioid Use: A Public Health Crisis appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Dr. Hooten contributed to a panel discussion on the history of prescribing, the physiological mechanism that links overuse to dependency, the new state Opioid Prescribing Improvement Program and current practice around opioid prescribing. He spoke about the role of psychiatric comorbidities, such as depression and anxiety, and says the prevalence of these conditions is high among people with chronic pain. “My overall approach is to treat the underlying psychiatric illness directly, then trend away or taper the opioid.”  Dr. Hooten was lead author a recent study that found that 1 in 4 people prescribed opioids progressed to longer-term prescriptions.

Journalists: B-roll of the event and sound bites with Drs. Hooten and Berge are available in the downloads.

Media Contact: To schedule an interview with Drs. Hooten or Berge, contact Rhoda Madson at 507-284-5005 or newsbureau@mayo.edu.

Dr. Berge participated in a panel discussion examining treatment of opioid addiction. The panel addressed the data and latest evidence about effective treatments of opioid addiction, and obstacles to overcome.

Dr. Berge is chair of Mayo Clinic’s Medication Diversion Prevention Committee, which oversees Mayo’s ongoing effort to prevent the diversion of controlled substances from the workplace, and identify and respond quickly when such diversion is detected.

Mayo Clinic was one of the conference sponsors. Other organizers and participants included the U.S. Department of Justice, Minnesota Department of Human Services, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, the Office of Gov. Mark Dayton, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.

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The post Pain. Pill. Problem. Use and overuse of prescription painkillers in Minnesota appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 23,000 people die each year in the U.S. as the result of antibiotic-resistant infections. Antibiotics are powerful weapons in the fight against infection, but misuse or overuse can create a serious health risk. On the next Mayo Clinic Radio, infectious diseases specialist Dr. Pritish Tosh explains how antibiotic resistance works and how to avoid it. Also on the program, a new study in Mayo Clinic Proceedings may help predict who is most vulnerable to opioid pain medication addiction. Anesthesiologist and pain management specialist Dr. Michael Hooten explains the study's results. And family medicine specialist Dr. John Wilkinson discusses the current recommendations for when to get a complete physical exam.

Mayo Clinic Radio is available on iHeartRadio.

Click here to listen to the program at 9:05 a.m. CT, Saturday, July 25, and follow #MayoClinicRadio.

To find and listen to archived shows, click here.

Mayo Clinic Radio is a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Myth or Matter-of-Fact: Eating meat from animals treated with antibiotics can increase your resistance to certain infections.

Miss the program?  Here's the podcast: MayoClinicRadio 07-25-15 PODCAST

Follow #MayoClinicRadio and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is available on iHeartRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio is a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

To find and listen to archived shows, click here.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Antibiotic Resistance/Opioid Addiction/Routine Physical Exams appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.