The present paper explores race and gender differences in a recent theoretical model (Anderson, 1994), consisting of several micro- and macrofactors, that helps explain the identity-related processes of drug misuse. The approach is qualitative, featuring in-depth interviewing with 45 self-identified drug addicts. The study uncovered support for the general concepts of the identity-based model a...

Yes. Of the several screening instruments developed and originally validated in patients in a pain center population (TABLE), one also has been validated in primary care. The Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM) predicts aberrant drug-related behaviors in primary care patients who have been prescribed opioids within the past 12 months with a sensitivity of 77% and specificity of 77% (strength o...

It is now accepted that drug misuse is a large and growing problem in the United Kingdom, some estimates of the number of regular illicit drug users being as high as three million. The aim of this paper is to provide insight into the methods used to detect drug misuse. The strategy adopted by one laboratory is described and methods of screening for, and identification of, a wide range of compou...

BACKGROUND Tropicamide is an antimuscarinic drug usually prescribed as an ophthalmic solution to induce short-term mydriasis and cycloplegia. Over the last 2 years, tropicamide has been reported in both Russia and Italy to be self-administered intravenously (IV) for recreational purposes. METHODS The literature on tropicamide was searched in PsycInfo and Pubmed databases. Considering the abse...

The intentional misuse of psychotropic drugs is recognized as a significant public health concern in Canada, although there is a lack of empirical research detailing this. Even less research has been documented on the misuse of prescription drugs among First Nations in Canada. In the past, Western biomedical and individual-based approaches to researching Indigenous health have been applied, whe...

BACKGROUND The epidemic of medical use and abuse of opioid analgesics is linked to the economic burden of opioid-related abuse and fatalities in the United States. Multiple studies have estimated the extent to which prescription opioid analgesics contribute to the national drug abuse problem; studies also assessing the trends in medical use and abuse of opioid analgesics have confirmed the rela...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate alcohol/tobacco and/or illicit drug misuse in Chronic Diseases (CDs). METHODS A cross-sectional study with 220 CDs adolescents and 110 healthy controls including: demographic/anthropometric data; puberty markers; modified questionnaire evaluating sexual function, alcohol/smoking/illicit drug misuse and bullying; and the physician-conducted CRAFFT (car/relax/alone/forget/...

BACKGROUND In the year 2000, the South Korean government introduced a program for separation of drug prescribing and dispensing. The goals of the program are to reduce misuse of drugs and to contain drug expenditures. The government also designated exception regions for the program to reduce the inconvenience for people who reside in areas with a shortage of health care resources. However, acco...