List of Peer Reviewed Articles on Pain/Opioids

Peer-reviewed articles (2006-2019) on Pain/Opioids by Stefan Kertesz  (Twitter: @StefanKertesz)  June 2019

This is a collection of 26 scientifically correct (not anti-opioid) information that can be used as references to rebut the anti-opioid propaganda. Dr. Kertesz has been a powerful and respected advocate for us for many years and seems to be publishing voluminously.

Many of the articles below I’ve already posted, but here they are in a unified list of publications, most with links, which challenge the anti-opioid zealotry.  

Published or In Press

1. Pletcher M, Kertesz SG, Sidney, S, Kiefe C, Hulley S. Incidence and antecedents of nonmedical prescription opioid use in four communities. The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) prospective cohort study. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2006;85(2):171-6. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2006.04.011
2. Pletcher MJ, Kertesz SG, Kohn MA, Gonzales R. Trends in opioid prescribing by race/ethnicity for patients seeking care in US emergency departments. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2008;299(1):70-8. doi: 10.1001/jama.2007.64
3. Merlin JS, Walcott M, Herbey I, Chamot E, Ritchie CS, Saag MS, Kertesz SG. Qualitative Investigation of a Brief Chronic Pain Screening Tool in HIV-Infected Patients. AIDS Patient Care and STDs. 2014;28(4):176-82. PMC3985507
4. Merlin JS, Turan JM, Herbey I, Westfall AO, Starrels JL, Kertesz SG, Saag MS, Ritchie CS. Aberrant Drug-Related Behaviors: A qualitative analysis of medical record documentation in patients referred to an HIV/Chronic pain clinic. Pain Medicine. 2014;15(10):1724-33. PMC4208944
5. Merlin JS, Walcott M, Ritchie C, Herbey I, Kertesz SG, Chamot E, Saag M, Turan JM.  ‘Two Pains Together’: Patient Perspectives on Psychological Aspects of Chronic Pain while Living with HIV. PLOS One. 2014;9(11):e111765. PMC4218809
6. Khodneva Y, Muntner P, Kertesz SG, Kissela B, Safford MM. Prescription opioid use and risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and cardiovascular death among adults from a prospective cohort (REGARDS study). Pain Medicine. 2016;17(3):444-55. doi: 10.1111/pme.12916
7. Khodneva Y, Muntner P, Kertesz S, Howard G, Safford M. Prescription opioid use is associated with increased mortality in the reasons for geographic and racial differences in stroke study. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2015;146:e157. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.09.345
8. Merlin JS, Tamhane A, Starrels JL, Kertesz SG, Saag M, Cropsey K. Factors associated with prescription of opioids and co-prescription of sedating medications in individuals with HIV. AIDS and Behavior. 2016,20(3):687-98. PMC4777647
9. Merlin JS, Young SR, Johnson MO, Saag M, Demonte W, Modi R, Shurbaji S, Anderson WA, Kerns R, Bair MJ, Kertesz S, Davies S, Turan JM. Using Patient Perspectives to Inform the Development of a Behavioral Intervention for Chronic Pain in Patients with HIV: A Qualitative Study. Pain Medicine. 2017;18(5):879-88. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnw150
10. Merlin JS, Tamhane A, Starrel JL, Kertesz S, Saag M, Cropsey K. Factors Associated with Prescription of Opioids and Co-prescription of Sedating Medications in Individuals with HIV. AIDS and Behavior. 2016;20(3):687-98. PMC4777647
11. Kertesz SG. Turning the Tide or Riptide? The Changing Opioid Epidemic. Substance Abuse. 2017;38(1):3-8. doi: 10.1080/08897077.2016.1261070
12. Curtis J, Xie, F; Smith C, Saag K, Chen, L, Beukelman T, Mannion M, Yun H, Kertesz SG. Changing Trends in Opioid Use among U.S. Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients. Arthritis and Rheumatology. 2017;69(9):1733-40. Doi: 10.1002/art.40152.
13. Chang DG, Kertesz SG. Yoga and low back pain: no fool’s tool (editorial). Annals of Internal Medicine. 2017;167(2):129-30. doi: 10.7326/M17-1263.
14. Mundkur ML, Gordon AJ, Kertesz SG. Will Strict Limits on Opioid Prescription Duration Prevent Addiction? Advocating for Evidence-Based Policymaking. Substance Abuse. 2017 Jun 20:1-2. doi: 10.1080/08897077.2017.1345194.
15. Merlin JS, Westfall AO Johnson MO, Kerns RD, Bair MJ, Kertesz SG, Turan JM, Clay OJ, Starrels JL, Kilgore M. Cost-effectiveness of a chronic pain intervention for people living with HIV (PLWH). Journal of Medical Economics. 2018;21(2):122-6. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/13696998.2017.1377719
16. Kertesz SG. The unexpected urine test result: a matter far from simple. Journal of Addiction Medicine. 2017;11(6):417-9. doi: https://doi.org/10.1097/ADM.0000000000000357.
17. Merlin JS, Young SR, Johnson MO, Saag MS, Demonte W, Kerns R, Bair MJ, Kertesz S, Turan JM, Kilgore M, Clay OJ, Pekmezi D, Davies S. Intervention Mapping to Develop a Social Cognitive Theory-based Intervention for Chronic Pain Tailored to Individuals with HIV. Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications. 2018;10:9-16. PMC5898474
18. Merlin JS, Westfall AO, Long DM, Davies S, Saag M, Demonte W, Young S, Kerns RD, Bair MJ, Kertesz S, Turan JM, Kilgore M, Clay OJ, Starrels J, Pekmezi D, Johnson MO. A Randomized Pilot Trial of a novel behavioral intervention for chronic pain tailored to individuals with HIV. AIDS Behavior. 2018;22(8):2733-42. PMC6047927
19. Merlin JS, Long D, Becker WC, Cachay ER, Christopolous KA, Claborn K, Crane HM, Edelman EJ, Harding R, Kertesz SG, Liebschutz JM, Mathews WC, Mugavero MJ, Napravnik S, O’Cleirigh C, Saag MS, Starrels JL, Gross R. The Association of Chronic Pain and Long-Term Opioid Therapy with HIV Treatment Outcomes. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. 2018;79(1):77-82. PMC6092197  
20. Kertesz SG. The Drive to Taper Opioids: Mind the Evidence, and the Ethics. Spinal Cord Series and Cases. 2018;4(1):64. doi: 10.1038/s41394-018-0092-5
21. Kertesz SG, Gordon A. A Crisis of Opioids and the Limits of Prescription Control: United States. Addiction. 2018 Jul 23. doi: epdf/10.1111/add.14394
22. Hadland SE, Kertesz SG. Opioid deaths in Ontario, Canada (editorial). The British Medical Journal. 2018;362:k3537. doi: 10.1136/bmj.k3537
23. Darnall BD, Juurlink D, Kerns RD, Mackey S, Van Dorsten B, Humphreys K, Gonzalez-Sotomayor JA, Furlan A, Gordon AJ, Gordon DB, Hoffman DE, Katz J, Kertesz SG, Satel S, Lawhern RA, Nicholson KM, Polomano RC, Williamson OD, McAnally H, Kao MC, Schug S , Twillman R, Lewis TA, Stieg RL, Lorig K, Mallick-Searle T, West RW, Gray S, Ariens SR, Sharpe-Potter J, Cowan P, Kollas CD, Laird D, Ingle B, Julian Grove J, Wilson M, Lockman K, Hodson F, Palackdharry CS, Fillingim RB, Fudin J, Barnhouse J, Manhapra A, Henson SR, Singer B, Ljosenvoor M, Griffith M, Doctor JN, Hardin K, London C, Mankowski J, Anderson A, Ellsworth L, Davis Budzinski L, Brandt B, Harkootley G, Nickels Heck D, Zobrosky MJ, Cheek C, Wilson M, Laux CE, Datz G, Dunaway J, Schonfeld E, Cady M, LeDantec-Boswell T, Craigie M, Sturgeon J, Flood P, Giummarra M, Whelan J, Thorn BE, Martin R, Schatman ME, Gregory MD, Kirz J, Robinson P, Marx JG, Stewart JR, Keck PS, Hadland SE, Murphy JL, Lumley MA, Brown KS, Leong MS, Fillman M, Broatch JW, Perez A, Watford K, Kruska K, Sophia You D, Ogbeide S, Kukucka A, Lawson S, Ray JB, Wade Martin T, Lakehomer JB, Burke A, Cohen RI, Grinspoon P, Rubenstein MS, Sutherland S, Walters K,  Lovejoy T. International Stakeholder Community of Pain Experts and Leaders Call for an Urgent Action on Forced Opioid Tapering. Pain Medicine. 2019;30(3):429-33. doi: 10.1093/pm/pny228
24. Kroenke K,  Alford DP, Argoff C, Canlas C, Covington E, Frank W, Haake KJ, Hanling S, Hooten WM, Kertesz SG, Kravitz RL, Krebs EE, Stanos SP, Sullivan M. Challenges with Implementing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Opioid Guideline: A Consensus Panel Report. Pain Medicine.  2019;20(4):724-35. doi: 10.1093/pm/pny307
25. Kertesz SG, Satel SL, DeMicco J, Dart RC, Alford DP. Opioid Discontinuation as an Institutional Mandate: Questions and Answers on Why We Wrote to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Substance Abuse Journal. 2019. doi: 10.1080/08897077.2019.1613830
26. Kertesz SG. Outcomes after opioid dose reductions and stoppage: It’s time to start counting. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. 2019. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2019.05.010

BOOKS

Books and Book Chapters

1. Tucker JA, Murphy JG, Kertesz SG. Substance Use Disorders. (2010) In Antony MM & Barlow DH (Eds), Handbook of Assessment and Treatment Planning for Psychological Disorders (2nd ed.) (pp. 529-570). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
2. Wismer B, Amann T, Diaz R, Eisen D, Elder N, Ho C, Hwang S, Johnston M, Joslyn M, Kertesz SG, Kushel M, Preston C, Solotoroff R, Thompson L, Silva F, Smith S, Zevin B, Beinbresse M, Post P (Eds). (2011) Adapting Your Practice: Recommendations for the Care of Homeless Adults with Chronic Non-Malignant Pain. (pp. 1-61). Nashville, TN: Health Care for the Homeless Clinicians’ Network, National Health Care for the Homeless Council, Inc.
3. Gordon AJ, Cochran G, Smid MC, Manhapra A, Kertesz SG. Prescribing, prescription monitoring, and health policy. In: Kelly JF, Wakeman S (eds). Treating Opioid Addiction. Willowick, Ohio: Springer International. 2019, in press.