Essays on Psychotropic Drugs

Ray WA, Chung CP, Murray KT, Hall K, Stein C. Prescription of Long-Acting Opioids and Mortality in Patients With Chronic Noncancer Pain. JAMA. 2016;315(22):2415-2423. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.7789.

Prescription of Long-Acting Opioids and Mortality in Patients With Chronic Noncancer Pain Wayne A. Ray, PhD1; Cecilia P. Chung, MD, MPH2; Katherine T. Murray, MD2,3; Kathi Hall, BS1; C. Michael Stein, MB, ChB2,3 [+] Author Affiliations JAMA. 2016;315(22):2415-2423. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.7789.

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Abstract ABSTRACT | INTRODUCTION | METHODS | RESULTS | DISCUSSION | CONCLUSIONS | ARTICLE INFORMATION | REFERENCES Importance  Long-acting opioids increase the risk of unintentional overdose deaths but also may increase ...

Introduction

The field of medicine and pharmacy has over the recent past experienced tremendous growth with technological improvements making pharmacy and the analysis of drugs and characteristics of drugs much simpler. Drug analysis is a fundamental aspect of drug development. It is not confined to making improvements to drug but also assessing quality to ascertain their fitness for human consumption. Drugs are chemical compounds that are affected by a number of factors including temperature, moisture and contaminants among others. For this reason, technology has provided an analytical tool for analyzing the drugs.

Following the introduction of spectroscopy about half a century ago, ...

Abstract

Caffeine is a widely-used drug that modifies the psychological condition of the consumers. At high doses, it causes various caffeine-related symptoms such as agitation, as well as the restless legs syndrome. Since caffeine is a habit forming drug, it allows the development of tolerance and withdrawal symptoms. It also alters sleep patterns in accordance with the consumed daily caffeine dose. Although its arousal of the central nervous system can induce pleasant effects at relatively lower doses, caffeine can impair concentration and attention at increased doses. The present study, therefore, examines the various adverse effects of consuming caffeine at high doses. The ...

Introduction

Children are exposed to various scenarios where they engage in different symptoms at one point or another. The adolescence level is the most prevalent as children are exposed to different point where they have to be medicated to curb the scenarios of changes in their physical, cognitive ad social lives. Most of the children today take drugs in order to focus on their day to day activities. This has come as a result of parenting activities that drive children into engaging in activities that are not within their capacity. The conditions related to childhood medication include attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder ( ...

Is America overmedicating its children? This question has been in the public discourse in the recent years and is increasingly becoming a controversial and highly emotive issue. Proponents of this assertion argue that indeed true, the American society is overmedicating its children. There are equally opponents to the assertion that America is overmedicating its children. The main argument advanced by the opponents is that such assertions are fallacies and that those who make them are doing so for various vested interests. This article agrees with the proponents of this assertion. It will thus be seeking to back up this assertion ...