Whereas drugs are intended to be selective, at least some bind to several physiologic targets, explaining both side effects and efficacy. As many drug-target combinations exist, it would be useful to explore possible interactions computationally. Here, we compared 3,665 FDA-approved and investigational drugs against hundreds of targets, defining each target by its ligands. Chemical similarities between drugs and ligand sets predicted thousands of unanticipated associations. Thirty were tested experimentally, including the antagonism of the β1 receptor by the transporter inhibitor Prozac, the inhibition of the 5-HT transporter by the ion channel drug Vadilex, and antagonism of the histamine H4 receptor by the enzyme inhibitor Rescriptor. Overall, 23 new drug-target associations were confirmed, five of which were potent (< 100 nM). The physiological relevance of one such, the drug DMT on serotonergic receptors, was confirmed in a knock-out mouse. The chemical similarity approach is systematic and comprehensive, and may suggest side-effects and new indications for many drugs.
Differences exist in driving patterns of older and younger drivers as measured by reaction times and driving simulator outcomes. These results are the first to compare these 2 specific adult age groups' driving performance as measured by a standardized driving simulator scenario. Identifying these differences is essential in addressing them and preventing future traffic injuries.
Objective. To describe pharmacy curricula in psychiatry and neurology and to report on neuropsychiatric pharmacy specialists' views on optimal curriculum. Methods. Design and administer one electronic survey to accredited pharmacy programs asking them to report information on curricula in psychiatry and neurology for the 2014-2015 academic year. Design and administer a separate electronic survey to board certified pharmacists with an academic affiliation who are members of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists (CPNP) asking about their teaching activities and their opinion on optimal curricula. Results. Fifty-six percent of pharmacy programs and 65% of CPNP members responded to the surveys. The program survey revealed greater than 80% of topics were taught by full-time faculty. Didactic lecturing, teambased learning, and case studies were the most common teaching methods. Programs dedicated the most didactics (3 to 51 hours) to epilepsy, depression, schizophrenia, substance use disorders, and pain. Autism, traumatic brain injury, personality, and eating disorders were either not taught or given # 1 hour of didactics in most programs. Inpatient psychiatry had the most APPE placements with a mean of 19.6, range 0-83. APPE electives in psychiatry outnumbered those in neurology 5 to 1. CPNP member survey results showed 2 out of 3 members agreed that curriculum could be improved with additional APPEs in psychiatry and neurology. Conclusion. Didactic hour distribution in psychiatry and neurology could be improved to better align with board certification in psychiatric pharmacy (BCPP) recommendations and disorder prevalence and complexity. Specialists recommend an experiential component in neurology and psychiatry to combat stigma and improve pharmacist knowledge and skills.
Recent research suggests that functional connectivity changes may be involved in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. Hyperconnectivity in the default mode network has been associated with psychopathology, but psychedelic serotonin agonists like psilocybin may profoundly disrupt these dysfunctional neural network circuits and provide a novel treatment for psychiatric disorders. We have reviewed the current literature to investigate the efficacy and safety of psilocybin-assisted therapy for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. There were seven clinical trials that investigated psilocybin-assisted therapy as a treatment for psychiatric disorders related to anxiety, depression, and substance use. All trials demonstrated reductions in psychiatric rating scale scores or increased response and remission rates. There were large effect sizes related to improved depression and anxiety symptoms. Psilocybin may also potentially reduce alcohol or tobacco use and increase abstinence rates in addiction, but the benefits of these two trials were less clear due to open-label study designs without statistical analysis. Psilocybin-assisted therapy efficacy and safety appear promising, but more robust clinical trials will be required to support FDA approval and identify the potential role in clinical psychiatry.
The authors conducted a systematic review of SUDs education studies in US pharmacy schools. All literature database searches were performed on April 30, 2016, in 5 databases: Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid MEDLINE In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, Embase.com, ERIC via FirstSearch, and CINAHL via EBSCOhost. The study authors conducted this systematic review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines and registered it with PROSPERO, which is an international prospective register of systematic reviews. The PROSPERO registration number is CRD42016037443. The study authors created a modified data extraction sheet based on the Best Evidence in Medical Education coding sheet. A Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI) score was calculated for included articles. Results: From the 1626 retrieved records, 7 were included in the present review. The studies assessed students' impressions and abilities regarding SUDs pre- and post-intervention. The mean ± SD MERSQI score of the 7 studies was 9.86 ± 1.21 (range: 8-11.5). The included articles assessed pharmacy students at various academic years, with the majority students in either their first or second year of pharmacy school, and described both required and elective courses. The educational interventions varied in design and outcomes measured. Education included nicotine, alcoholism, and SUDs in general. None of the included articles reported on education regarding opioid use disorders. Conclusions: The studies included in this systematic review demonstrate that teaching pharmacy students about SUDs produces a positive impact in their attitudes and knowledge on this subject.
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