Novel Drugs of Abuse

Cocaine-induced Movement Disorder: A Literature Review

This study aims to describe movement disorders secondary to cocaine use. To our knowledge, while these presentations have been previously reported in the literature, a comprehensive review has not been published yet. We searched six databases from 1986 to 2022 without language restriction. Case reports, case series, and literature reviews have been analysed to find associations between cocaine use and movement disorders. The present study encompasses epidemiology, clinical manifestations, pathophysiology, and diagnostic challenges of abnormal movements associated with cocaine use. This review highlights the importance of proper initial evaluation and investigation taking into account the broad spectrum of differential diagnoses and exclusion of primary movement disorders. The role of the dopaminergic system in movement disorders is reviewed. Cocaine use is associated with movement disorders such as dystonia, parkinsonism, akathisia, and tics. The complex interaction of multiple factors, including other neurological conditions, such as Tourette syndrome, and additional substances of abuse is discussed. The presentation of these manifestations is often heterogeneous and does not follow a specific pattern. In this way, future research is needed to improve our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms and develop novel drug targets for these disorders. Increased awareness among the general public and policymakers could translate into reduced stigma and improved care.

Immunotherapies for the Treatment of Drug Addiction

Substance use disorders (SUD) are a serious public health concern globally. Existing treatment platforms suffer from a lack of effectiveness. The development of immunotherapies against these substances of abuse for both prophylactic and therapeutic use has gained tremendous importance as an alternative and/or supplementary to existing therapies. Significant development has been made in this area over the last few decades. Herein, we highlight the vaccine and other biologics development strategies, preclinical, clinical updates along with challenges and future directions. Articles were searched in PubMed, ClinicalTrial.gov, and google electronic databases relevant to development, preclinical, clinical trials of nicotine, cocaine, methamphetamine, and opioid vaccines. Various new emerging vaccine development strategies for SUD were also identified through this search and discussed. A good number of vaccine candidates demonstrated promising results in preclinical and clinical phases and support the concept of developing a vaccine for SUD. However, there have been no ultimate success as yet, and there remain some challenges with a massive push to take more candidates to clinical trials for further evaluation to break the bottleneck.

Report of the 2020 Special Committee on Substance Use and Pharmacy Education

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe 2020 Special Committee on Substance Use and Pharmacy Education was charged to update the work of the 2010 Special Committee on Substance Abuse and Pharmacy Education Report (SAPER) specifically with recommendations on core curricular content and delivery processes on substance misuse and substance use disorder (SUD). This report provides information on the committee's process to address the charges, background information and resources pertaining to the charges, and rationale for SUD being a critical topic for curriculum at colleges and schools of pharmacy. This committee offers several recommendations to the Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) pertaining to the committee charges.

Adolescent exposures to traditional and novel psychoactive drugs, reported to National Poison Data System (NPDS), 2007-2017

BACKGROUND

Survey data on adolescent drug use trends have limitations evaluating the impact of drug use on health and may lag current trends. The objective was to describe National Poison Data System (NPDS) trends, medical outcomes, and healthcare encounters from adolescent exposures of traditional and novel psychoactive drugs.

METHODS

Retrospective review of adolescent (10-18 years of age) exposure calls to all U.S. poison centers, from January 1, 2007 through December 31, 2017, using generic codes for traditional and novel psychoactive drugs. Descriptive statistics and univariate Poisson regression modeling were used for analysis.

RESULTS

There were 49,757 exposure calls for the included psychoactive drugs. The median age was 16 years (IQR 15,17), 64% were male, and the majority were evaluated in a healthcare facility (92%). Marijuana had the most exposure calls (36.6%), followed by synthetic cannabinoids (e.g., spice; 21.3%). There were 181 (<1%) deaths; the highest fatality rates were from fentanyl, 2C drugs (phenylethylamine derivatives), and heroin. LSD exposure calls have had the most significant increase over the past 10 years.

CONCLUSION

U.S. Poison Centers reported almost 50,000 exposure calls and 181 deaths over 10 years for adolescent exposures of both traditional and novel psychoactive drugs, demonstrating the significant health impact on this vulnerable population. Opioids and 2C drugs contributed to the highest mortality rates, moderate/major symptoms and healthcare utilization, and LSD had the most significant increase in calls. Multi-source surveillance methodology is critical in understanding the public health impact on drug abuse in the adolescent population.