Too often, the nation's top federal health agency says, doctors put an opioid prescription into the hands of patients who complain of chronic or one-time pain or those who in truth don't hurt.

New guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on dispensing the most powerful and addictive painkillers are tough for some doctors and patients to accept, even if alternative treatment is available, says a University of Mississippi Medical Center psychiatrist.

UMMC addiction experts are addressing the crisis head-on, performing National Institutes of Health-funded research to alter the formulations of prescription opioids so that they have less misuse or abuse potential.

“The CDC is making these recommendations because the number of doctors prescribing opioids for addicts is pandemic,” said Dr. John Norton, professor of psychiatry and one of only two practicing physicians in the state who have subspecialty board certification in headache medicine.

When people volunteer for a research study, they want to know that the scientists have their best interests in mind. The University of Mississippi Medical Center now has an accreditation to back it up.

The Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, or AAHRPP, announced UMMC's accreditation December 21, 2016.

A nonprofit organization, AAHRPP provides accreditation for organizations that conduct or review human research and can demonstrate that their protections exceed the safeguards required by the U.S. government. Only 231 organizations worldwide, including hospitals, universities and research institutes, hold a current accreditation. The Medical Center is the only health-care organization in Mississippi with this designation.

This means that clinical trial participants at UMMC can be confident that their welfare and safety are a top priority, said Nancy Olson, director of the human research office.

The Medical Center is proud to acknowledge those employees who will celebrate service anniversaries this week.

Several interesting events are scheduled for the upcoming week at the Medical Center.