The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse
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Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse · Jul 2014
Co-occurring prescription opioid use problems and posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity.
Prescription opioids are the most rapidly growing category of abused substances, and result in significant morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs. Co-occurring with psychiatric disorders, persons with prescription opioid problems have negative treatment outcomes. Data are needed on the prevalence of co-occurring prescription opioid abuse and specific disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), to better inform clinical practice. ⋯ Prescription opioid use problems are a risk factor for co-occurring PTSD symptom severity. Being female or younger increase the likelihood of this co-morbidity. Further research is needed to confirm these finding, particularly using more rigorous diagnostic procedures. These data suggest that patients with prescription opioid use problems should be carefully evaluated for PTSD symptoms.
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Substance use is overrepresented in dental clinics that provide affordable care and dental clinics provide potential access to opioid analgesics. Research is needed to better understand prescription opioid misuse in this population. ⋯ Within this sample from a dental clinic, nonmedical use of prescription pain medications was more common than in the general population. This suggests that dental clinics may be an appropriate setting for provider education and patient-based intervention strategies to reduce nonmedical use of pain medications.
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Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse · Jul 2014
Higher frequency of C.3435 of the ABCB1 gene in patients with tramadol dependence disorder.
Polymorphic variation at the ABCB1 gene has been shown to affect the pharmacodynamics and kinetics of various drugs. ⋯ The high frequency of ABCB1 gene T allele present at the polymorphic site 3435 could provide a protective mechanism from tramadol dependence disorder. Further study, using a larger sample, would be useful in further evaluating the possible role of ABCB1 gene polymorphisms.
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Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse · Jul 2014
Policy designs for cannabis legalization: starting with the eight Ps.
The cannabis policy landscape is changing rapidly. In November 2012 voters in Colorado and Washington State passed ballot initiatives to remove the prohibition on the commercial production, distribution, and possession of cannabis. ⋯ Indeed, whether or not cannabis legalization is net positive or negative for public health and public safety largely depends on regulatory decisions and how they are implemented. This essay presents eight of these design choices which all conveniently begin with the letter "P": production, profit motive, promotion, prevention, potency, purity, price, and permanency.