Insurer Begins Huge Palliative Care Program

The legalization of recreational marijuana in Minnesota has created daily conversations about how to incorporate the use of cannabis into treatment plans for patients with cancer, explained Marie Parish, PharmD, BCOP, of Mayo Clinic.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Jeffrey Krauss, MD, chief medical officer of Hinge Health and Stanford Clinical assistant professor, about the efficacy of a 12-week digital care program aimed to reduce lower back and knee pain in a real-world population.

Using buprenorphine before starting addiction treatment may be an indicator of greater treatment readiness, according to a study coauthored by Rutgers researcher.

Deaths from drug overdoses have become the leading cause of death for Americans under age 50, which can largely be attributed to prescription opioids. Due to the role of prescription opioids, understanding prescribing patterns and identifying inappropriate prescribing are crucial for changing the course of the epidemic.

The researchers said their results have potential implications for pain management and wellness in older adults, and they suggest that pain catastrophizing could be an important therapeutic target for interventions and pain treatment.