Meds for Alcohol Use Disorders

Topics: Alcohol use disorder | Naltrexone | observational study | Psychopharmacology

REVIEW OF: Heikkinen M et al, Addiction 2021;116(8):1990–1998 STUDY TYPE: Cohort study In the US, only 9% of patients diagnosed with alcohol use disorder (AUD) are prescribed AUD medication (Kranzler HR and Soyka M, JAMA 2018;320(8):815–824). A Swedish study provides evidence that further illuminates the potential harms from this lack of treat

A Psychosocial Intervention for Chronic Pain and SUD

Topics: Clinical practice | Marijuana | observational study | Pain | quality of life

REVIEW OF: Ilgen MA et al, JAMA Psychiatry 2020; published online July 29, 2020 Co-occurring substance use disorders (SUD) and chronic pain can be tough to treat. Little research has focused directly on this phenomenon, since most studies of pain exclude individuals with SUD. However, a few small, open studies of psychotherapeutic pain management in

Medical Cannabis for Chronic Pain and Quality of Life

Topics: Clinical practice | Marijuana | observational study | Pain | quality of life

REVIEW OF: Safakish R et al, Pain Medicine 2020 Jun 18;pnaa163. Epub ahead of print. Although chronic pain affects 10%–30% of the adult population and contributes to a host of physical and mental health problems, we often find ourselves with limited options to assist the patient with pain in front of us. While medical cannabis (MJ) has shown promis