Importance Chronic constipation accounts for at least 8 million annual visits to health care
providers in the United States and is associated with large expenditures for diagnostic
testing and prescription and nonprescription laxatives. Observations Strong evidence for
efficacy has been established for stimulant and osmotic laxatives, new intestinal
secretogogues, and peripherally restricted μ-opiate receptor antagonists, the latter a major
advance in the treatment of opioid-induced constipation (OIC). An algorithm provided to …