Mental Health Clinician Volume 1: Issue 3

In the past year, several questions have been posed on the CPNP Email Discussion List regarding bath salts and spice. Designer drugs, such as bath salts or spice, are agents that have pharmacologic effects similar to controlled substances, but are not under legal control since they are chemically distinct from controlled substances. ¹ These drugs may be marketed as a “legal high”. The dilemma in controlling designer drugs based on their structural similarity stems from the fact that these designer drugs may also be structurally similar to approved medications for depression or anaphylaxis. ¹ Designer drugs can also avoid control by being placed in packaging labeled “not for human consumption”, thereby failing to meet all attributes needed to be considered a controlled substance. ¹ The example previously mentioned, bath salts, have no legitimate use for bathing and are meant to be abused and the same chemical has also been sold as plant food. This month's MHC Toolbox of Drugs of Abuse, though not all-inclusive, is based on information found through government and drug agency organizations and is meant to provide insight into the effects of many illicit substances, including bath salts and spice.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy recently released the Obama Administration's action plan to address the national prescription drug abuse epidemic and announced new federal requirements aimed at educating the medical community about proper prescribing practices. The 2011–2012 College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists (CPNP) Recertification Committee recognized a need to provide evidence-based education to pharmacists and other health care providers to encourage our professions to be agents of change in providing solutions to the prescription drug abuse epidemic.

The Recertification Committee is developing a special education session to be presented at the 2011 American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists

Original citation: Teter CJ, Falone AE, Bakaian AM, Tu C, Ongür D, Weiss RD. Medication adherence and attitudes in patients with bipolar disorder and current versus past substance use disorder. Psychiatry Research 2011 [Epub ahead of print].

INTRODUCTION

Substance use disorders are a well-documented risk factor for medication nonadherence among patients with psychiatric illnesses. Numerous explanations have been put forth to explain why this is the case (e.g., substance users living a disorganized lifestyle or being more impulsive, or possible neurocognitive impairment from substance use). However, no definitive etiologic explanations have been identified. In order to further tease apart

Getting to know substance use disorders: What you can do

MHC Toolbox: Drugs of abuse

Interview & innovative practice with Merrill Norton, Pharm.D., NCAC II, CCS, CCDP-D

Buprenorphine and acute pain management

Managing pain in patients with addiction

Reprise: Medication adherence and attitudes in patients with bipolar disorder and current versus past substance use disorder

INTRODUCTION

Interview with Aimee McRae-Clark, Pharm.D., BCPP

HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS?

Book Review: Principles of addiction medicine, 4th edition

September 2011 President's Message

CPNP Announcements

NOMINATE YOUR PEERS FOR CPNP LEADERSHIP POSITIONS AND THE SAKLAD MEMORIAL AWARD

Rational antipsychotic polypharmacy in psychotic and bipolar disorders: A focus on D2 receptor partial agonists

Safety considerations for patients using cannabis

Clinical pearls for the treatment of narcolepsy

The efficacy and safety of antidepressants as alternative treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in pediatric populations

Benzodiazepine use in schizophrenia: A review of the literature

CPNP Announcements

CPNP Announcements

Editorial: Elevating to new heights in neuropsychiatric pharmacy at the 2013 CPNP Annual Meeting

Tis the season of endorsements

A review of eslicarbazepine acetate (Stedesa®)