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Patients who have taken opioids for years for chronic pain must be treated differently from those who have not because such therapies cause profound physiological and neurologic changes. Reflexive approaches to tapering or discontinuing opioids should be avoided. (Drs. Phillip O. Coffin and Antje M. Barreveld, 2/17)

There’s an old saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That’s just as true in law enforcement as it is in medicine – and it’s badly needed here in Florida. Every year, prescription drug fraud committed by independent pharmacists costs patients, taxpayers and businesses billions of dollars in the form of higher prescription drug costs. This problem is serious, and lawmakers need to take real action to prevent and crack down on it. (Jim Maxwell, 2/21)

The continuing spread of SARS-CoV-2 remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. What physicians need to know about transmission, diagnosis, and treatment of Covid-19 is the subject of ongoing updates from infectious disease experts at the Journal. In this audio interview conducted on February 15, 2022, the editors discuss long-awaited trial results for nirmatrelvir, a new antiviral against Covid-19, as well as new studies of the protection offered by previous infection with SARS-CoV-2. (Dr. Eric J. Rubin, Dr. Lindsey R. Baden and Stephen Morrissey, 2/17)