Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join Richard A. Lawhern, a patient advocate. We delve into the critical issues surrounding U.S. policy for the regulation of prescription opioid pain relievers and the challenges faced by c…
I write widely as a subject matter expert on U.S. policy for the regulation of prescription opioid pain relievers and of clinicians who employ them in managing their patients’ chronic pain. Because I am a patient advocate and the spouse of a chro…
In 1985, Mr. Charles McCrory was on trial. Charles had found his wife dead, and her family was convinced that he was responsible, despite the fact that Charles denied any involvement and just wanted to grieve in peace. There was no real evidence agains…
Recently, a group of researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, reported that they may have found the holy grail of pain management. They accomplished this by performing “the first-in-human, long-term direct brain measurement of …
What is a legitimate medical reason to prescribe an opioid medication today? For pain or addiction? Who decides which patients are worthy of treatment? This question is not just of academic interest. Any prescribing medical provider today must constant…
An excerpt from Slow Dancing with the Devil: A Son’s Substance Use Disorder, A Mother’s Anguish. The only time my anxiety was gone, or at least on pause, was when Luke was in a treatment center or sobriety house. I knew he was safe and surr…
The definition of addiction, now called substance use disorder, has varied greatly over time. The first edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, from 1952, didn’t include specific diagnostic criteria for this condition. Over the next six…
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join L. Joseph Parker, a research physician, as we dive into the intricate world of medical practice and legal challenges faced by health care professionals treating patients with pain and …
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join L. Joseph Parker, a research physician, as we dive into the intricate world of medical practice and legal challenges faced by health care professionals treating patients with pain and …
She walked in with a cane, bent over like a question mark. She was in her seventies and as sweet as people in that age group tend to be. I think most of the cranky ones don’t make it that far. She was something of an emergency because her doctor …
