Among people with epilepsy, Black, Latino and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander people are less likely to be prescribed newer drugs than white people, which can be a marker of the quality of care, according to a study published in the January 11, 2023, online issue of Neurology® Clinical Practice, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Tag: Drugs
Calls for further research into family of antibiotics to reduce risk of serious side effects
Experts reviewing the use of a commonly prescribed family of drugs, known as fluoroquinolones, say safety warnings differ internationally
Groundbreaking research hopes to personalise treatment for cancer patients
Cancer Council SA-funded researcher Associate Professor Stephanie Reuter Lange from UniSA hopes that a simple computer program can help personalise treatment for cancer patients.
Many pain medications can be used for spine-related pain in older adults
Medications should be coupled with physical therapy, exercise programs and treatment of the underlying degenerative disease process and medical illness.
More Young People Begin Recreational Cannabis Use Illegally in States that Legalize It
Once a state legalizes recreational cannabis and increase in youth using it illegally occurs, report researchers at University of California San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science.
Pharmacists at Higher Risk of Suicide than General Population, Study Finds
UC San Diego study shows suicide rates were higher in pharmacists than in the general population between 2003 and 2018, with job problems being the most significant feature associated with the suicides.
Mechanisms of addiction: Psychology professor receives NIH grant for brain research
A five-year, $2.59 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will allow a psychology professor at Binghamton University, State University of New York to study the mechanisms of addiction.
$1.3 million in NIH grants to enable research into antibody-mediated drug delivery technology
Two National Institute of Health (NIH) grants totaling over $1.3 million will enable research into antibody-mediated drug delivery technology for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune disorders. L. Nathan Tumey, assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences, is the Principal Investigator on both grants — $1.2 million from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and $150,000 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Teens who use cannabis frequently more likely to have premature baby, study suggests
Teenagers who use cannabis frequently may be more likely to have children born preterm, when they become parents up to twenty years later, finds a new University of Bristol-led study. The research, published in Scientific Reports, repeatedly assessed 665 participants in a general population cohort on their tobacco and cannabis use between ages 14 to 29 years, before pregnancy.
Bill Greene, PharmD, of St. Jude receives award for outstanding contributions to the pharmacy profession
William L. “Bill” Greene, PharmD, chief pharmaceutical officer, to receive the 2021 Shelby Rhinehart Public Service Lifetime Achievement Award.
Bill Greene, PharmD, of St. Jude receives lifetime achievement award
William L. “Bill” Greene, PharmD, chief pharmaceutical officer, to receive the 2021 Shelby Rhinehart Public Service Lifetime Achievement Award.
Cannabis: sexually diverse youths with depression use more
It’s no secret that studies show that sexually diverse youth – in particular, lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) youth – use more cannabis and experience more mental health challenges than their heterosexual peers. But what about the changes that occur…
Study shows strong association between perceived risk, availability and past-year cannabis use
Individuals who perceived cannabis as both low-risk and available were 22 times more likely to have used cannabis in the past year than those perceiving cannabis as both high-risk and unavailable
New meta-analysis finds cannabis may be linked to development of opioid use disorders
The idea that cannabis is a ‘gateway drug’ to more harmful substances such as opioids is controversial, yet has substantially impacted drug policy, education and how we conceptualize substance use. A new systematic review and meta-analysis has found that people…
ED-administered high-dose buprenorphine may enhance opioid use disorder treatment outcomes
High-dose buprenorphine therapy, provided under emergency department care, is safe and well tolerated in people with opioid use disorder experiencing opioid withdrawal symptoms, according to a study supported by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)…
Study shows mental health, support, not just substance misuse key in parental neglect
Rates of clinical depression, substance use key in predicting neglectful behavior
Novel study of high-potency cannabis shows some memory effects
PULLMAN, Wash. – Even before the pandemic made Zoom ubiquitous, Washington State University researchers were using the video conferencing app to research a type of cannabis that is understudied: the kind people actually use. For the study, published in Scientific…
Study explores opioid prescribing preferences and practices among residents and faculty
CU Department of Surgery’s Victoria Huynh, MD, and Sarah Tevis, MD, are developing new protocols to improve surgical recovery
Banishing cigarettes into history’s ashcan
New grant expands Texas tobacco program, targets substance use patients in rural communities
NIH Avant Garde Award for Out-Of-Box, Innovative Concept to Cure HIV and Treat Addiction
Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Eradicate All Traces of HIV from Body, and Treat Co-existing Substance Use Disorders/Addiction
Autistic individuals more likely to use recreational drugs to self-medicate
While autistic individuals are less likely to use substances, those who do so are more likely to self-medicate for their mental health symptoms, according to new research from the University of Cambridge and published today in The Lancet Psychiatry .…
Nanomaterials: Evolution and Advancement Towards Therapeutic Drug Delivery
‘Nanomaterials: Evolution and Advancement Towards Therapeutic Drug Delivery’ gives the present status and future perspective of Polymeric nanoparticles, Liposomes, Carbon Nanotubes, Magnetic Nanoparticles, Silica Based nanomaterial, Hydrogels, Metallic Nanoparticles, Cyclodextrins, Poly (Lactide-Co-Glycolide) and its Copolymers. Improvement of a vector for…

UCI-led meta-analysis identifies hypertension medications that help ward off memory loss
Irvine, Calif., June 21, 2021 — A large-scale meta-analysis led by University of California, Irvine researchers provides the strongest evidence yet of which blood pressure medications help slow memory loss in older adults: those that can travel out of blood vessels and directly into the brain. The findings, published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension, will be of interest to the 91 million Americans whose blood pressure is high enough to warrant medication, as well as the doctors who treat them.
Immune system dysfunction can modify the association between cannabis use and psychosis
Brazilian researchers show that a combination of inflammatory cytokines in the blood and cannabis use, daily or during adolescence, heightens the odds of developing psychiatric disorders
Association of cannabis use during adolescence with neurodevelopment
What The Study Did: Researchers examined to what extent cannabis use is associated with thickness in brain areas measured by magnetic resonance imaging in a study of adolescents. Authors: Matthew D. Albaugh, Ph.D., of the University of Vermont Larner College…
Lies to hide doping in professional sport
Göttingen University sports sociologist analyses false statements from professional cyclists
Researchers test model to predict drug overdose deaths in US
Predictive tools could help counties preemptively deliver public health resources
Are social, behavioral risk factors associated with mortality among us veterans with COVID-19?
What The Study Did: An observational study of more than 27,000 veterans who received a positive test result for COVID-19 reports that risk factors such as housing problems, financial hardship, alcohol use, tobacco use and substance use weren’t associated with…
Sleep characteristics predict cannabis use, binge drinking in teens and young adults
Circadian misalignment is a potential risk factor for substance use
People who use methamphetamine likely to report multiple chronic conditions
Medical, mental, and substance use issues all more prevalent among adults who use methamphetamine
Partners play pivotal role in pregnant women’s alcohol use and babies’ development
Rochester psychologists find successful intervention efforts need to include partners of mothers-to-be
Opioid Agonist Therapy reduces mortality risk among people with opioid dependence
A new global review has found that receiving Opioid Agonist Therapy (OAT) is associated with lower risk of multiple causes of death among people with opioid dependence. The review found that people with opioid dependence were less likely to experience…
Most buprenorphine prescriptions are written by a small number of providers
Findings have implications for increasing access to opioid abuse treatment
Emotional regulation technique may be effective in disrupting compulsive cocaine addiction
An emotion regulation strategy known as cognitive reappraisal helped reduce the typically heightened and habitual attention to drug-related cues and contexts in cocaine-addicted individuals, a study by Mount Sinai researchers has found. In a paper published in PNAS, the team…
Genetic risk factors revealed by largest genome study of depression to date
In the largest genetic analysis of depression to date, Veterans Affairs researchers identified many new gene variants that increase the risk for depression. The groundbreaking study helps researchers better understand the biological basis of depression and could lead to better…
Superoxide produced in the cochlea of inner ears causes acquired hearing loss
-Breakthrough discovery will pave the way for the development of the world’s first pharmacological interventions against hearing loss-
Pain monitoring helps assess the effectiveness of opioid-sparing approaches during surgery
A new study has shown that effective opioid-sparing anaesthesia with dexmedetomidine can be guided with NOL pain monitoring technology (Medasense, Israel). The study showed that the NOL monitor is able to detect the effect of dexmedetomidine on the patient’s pain…
Cannabis-related exposures reported to US poison centers
What The Study Did: Researchers examined changes in reports to poison control centers from 2017 to 2019 of exposures to manufactured cannabis products and plant materials. Authors: Julia A. Dilley, Ph.D., of the Oregon Public Health Division in Portland, is…

Efforts to treat COVID-19 patients chronicled in UC Health medications data
Irvine, Calif., May 21, 2021 – A record of medicine utilization patterns assembled by an interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of California, Irvine and the UC San Diego School of Medicine reveals the thought, care and scientific rigor clinicians at UC Health medical centers applied in their treatment of patients with COVID-19 in 2020.
Nearly 3% of Americans take immune-weakening drugs that may limit COVID vaccine response
A study of more than 3 million insured U.S. adult patients under 65 found that nearly 3% take immunosuppressive drugs that may elevate risk for severe COVID-19 symptoms and hospitalization if they became infected. There is growing evidence that immunosuppressive drugs may also reduce the COVID vaccine’s efficacy.
Medicare negotiation could save businesses $195 billion and workers another $98 billion
Analysis of H.R. 3 estimates lower commercial market premiums and out-of-pocket costs
Parental consumption shapes how teens think about and use cannabis
UBCO research shows understanding teen use helps develop effective prevention programs
Single fingerprint at a crime scene detects class A drug usage
The latest findings show that with clever science, a single fingerprint left at a crime scene could be used to determine whether someone has touched or ingested class A drugs. In a paper published in Royal Society of Chemistry’s Analyst…
Swiss farmers contributed to the domestication of the opium poppy
Fields of opium poppies once bloomed where the Zurich Opera House underground garage now stands. Through a new analysis of archaeological seeds, researchers at the University of Basel have been able to bolster the hypothesis that prehistoric farmers throughout the…
Conn. medication-assisted opioid treatment programs retain patients at higher rates
Medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, is an important tool in the ongoing fight against opioid use dependence in the United States. Employing certain medications in combination with counseling and behavioral therapy, MAT offers a comprehensive, “whole-patient” approach to addressing opioid use.…
Substance use, physical activity by adolescent before, during COVID-19 pandemic
What The Study Did: C hanges in adolescents’ use of e-cigarettes, cannabis and alcohol and in physical activity behaviors following the COVID-19 stay-at-home order in California are examined in this study. Authors: Benjamin W. Chaffee, D.D.S., M.P.H., Ph.D., of the…
Researchers identify a psychedelic-like drug without the hallucinogenic side effects
Psychedelic drugs have shown promise for treating neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. However, due to their hallucinatory side effects, some researchers are trying to identify drugs that could offer the benefits of psychedelics without causing hallucinations.…
Large numbers of regular drug users report increased substance use during COVID-19
CAMH survey indicates drug users are being disproportionately impacted by COVID in a variety of ways, in large part due to supply disruption and other COVID-related societal changes.

Scientists put the stopwatch on cannabis intoxication
A comprehensive analysis of 80 scientific studies has identified a ‘window of impairment’ of between three and 10 hours caused by moderate to high doses of the intoxicating component of cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Johns Hopkins Medicine Expert Creates Comprehensive Guide to New Diabetes Drugs
New medicines for people who have diabetes seem to pop up all the time. Drugs that help the body break down carbohydrates, drugs that increase excretion of glucose in the urine, drugs that help muscles respond to insulin and drugs that stimulate the pancreas to produce it — the list of pharmaceutical options to treat diabetes gets longer and longer.