New scientific discoveries are emerging in the field of opioid pharmacology at the same time the United States is responding to a surge in prescription opioid misuse. “Frontiers in Opioid Pharmacology,” the 2017 Anesthesiology Journal Symposium held during the American Society of Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting, highlighted many of these new scientific discoveries. In this issue of Anesthesiology, readers will find articles describing new original laboratory and clinical research, retrospective and population studies with practice and policy implications, and reviews on a number of topics related to the pharmacology and clinical use of opioid analgesics. Many of these are written by anesthesiologists that are leading clinician-scientists in our field. We invite you to read and learn more from the Frontiers in Opioid Pharmacology. Cover illustration by Sara Jarret, C.M.I.; opioid receptor illustration ©ThinkStock; Journal Symposium logo by Annemarie Johnson, Vivo Visuals.

Editorial Views

  • Rathmell and Kharasch: Frontiers in Opioid Pharmacology, p. 865

  • Henthorn and Mikulich-Gilbertson: μ-Opioid Receptor Agonists: Do They Have Utility in the Treatment of Acute Pain? p. 867

Original Investigations

  • Gupta et al.: Opioid Abuse or Dependence Increases 30-day Readmission Rates after Major Operating Room Procedures: A National Readmissions Database Study, p. 880

  • Memtsoudis et al.: Association of Multimodal Pain Management Strategies with Perioperative Outcomes and Resource Utilization: A Population-based Study, p. 891

  • Birkholz et al.: Influence of Cardiac Output on the Pharmacokinetics of Sufentanil in Anesthetized Pigs, p. 912

  • Roozekrans et al.: Benefit versus Severe Side Effects of Opioid Analgesia: Novel Utility Functions of Probability of Analgesia and Respiratory Depression, p. 932

  • Fisher et al.: Pharmacokinetic Properties of a Sufentanil Sublingual Tablet Intended to Treat Acute Pain, p. 943

  • Chai et al.: New Opioid Analgesic Approvals and Outpatient Utilization of Opioid Analgesics in the United States, 1997 through 2015, p. 953

  • Klein et al.: Overexpression of μ-Opioid Receptors in Peripheral Afferents, but Not in Combination with Enkephalin, Decreases Neuropathic Pain Behavior and Enhances Opioid Analgesia in Mouse, p. 967

  • Angel et al.: Buprenorphine Depresses Respiratory Variability in Obese Mice with Altered Leptin Signaling, p. 984

  • Toyama et al.: Nonpeptide Orexin-2 Receptor Agonist Attenuates Morphine-induced Sedative Effects in Rats, p. 992

Review Articles

  • Litman et al.: Abuse-deterrent Opioid Formulations, p. 1015

  • Dahan et al.: Averting Opioid-induced Respiratory Depression without Affecting Analgesia, p. 1027