What about “Pharming”? Issues Regarding the Misuse of Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs

Chiappini, Stefania; Schifano, Fabrizio

doi:10.3390/brainsci10100736

Cited by 46 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 20 publications

(39 reference statements)

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“…We noticed that while some of these opioids made their first appearance in redditors' discussions before COVID-19, related posts and experiences increased during the first semester of 2020. One could argue that present findings may be consistent with the observation that, in times of stress and crisis, PWUDs prefer drugs that can be used/experienced in solitude to escape the anxiety, boredom, uncertainty, and discomfort generated by the COVID-19 pandemic ( 84 ). Uncertainty and fear caused by this unprecedented crisis could push vulnerable people toward dangerous/risky behavior and increased drug consumption.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Identifying New/Emerging Psychoactive Substances at the Time of COVID-19; A Web-Based Approach

et al. 2021

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COVID-19-related disruptions of people and goods' circulation can affect drug markets, especially for new psychoactive substances (NPSs). Drug shortages could cause a change in available NPS, with the introduction of new, unknown, substances. The aims of the current research were to use a web crawler, NPSfinder®, to identify and categorize emerging NPS discussed on a range of drug enthusiasts/psychonauts' websites/fora at the time of the pandemic; social media for these identified NPS were screened as well. The NPSfinder® was used here to automatically scan 24/7 a list of psychonaut websites and NPS online resources. The NPSs identified in the time frame between January and August 2020 were searched in both the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addictions (EMCDDA)/United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) databases and on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube) as well, with a content qualitative analysis having been carried out on reddit.com. Of a total of 229 NPSs being discussed at the time of the pandemic, some 18 NPSs were identified for the first time by the NPSfinder®. These included six cathinones, six opioids, two synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs), two phenylcyclohexylpiperidine (PCP)-like molecules, and two psychedelics. Of these NPSs, 10 were found to be previously unreported to either the UNODC or the EMCDDA. Of these 18 NPSs, opioids and cathinones were the most discussed on social media/reddit, with the highest number of threads associated. Current findings may support the use of both automated web crawlers and social listening approaches to identify emerging NPSs; the pandemic-related imposed restrictions may somehow influence the demand for specific NPS classes.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Identifying New/Emerging Psychoactive Substances at the Time of COVID-19; A Web-Based Approach

et al. 2021

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“…While the demographic characteristics of the typical customers of such online marketplaces have been identified [i.e., young, male, Caucasian; ( 125 )], we have not yet identified their personality or mental health characteristics, which would be helpful for targeting prevention efforts. Second, given the well-established role of social influence in young people's drug misuse [e.g., ( 126 )] and emerging data concerning online drug forums and social networking sites where those experimenting with psychotropics, including PDs, share drug-related information ( 9 ), it would be interesting to study whether involvement in such communities might be related to personality. For example, are these experimenters or “psychonauts” higher in sensation seeking?…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Personality to Prescription Drug Misuse in Adolescents: Testing Affect Regulation, Psychological Dysregulation, and Deviance Proneness Pathways

et al. 2021

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Background: Fifteen to 25-year-olds are the age group most likely to misuse prescription drugs. Few studies have tested theory-driven models of adolescent risk for prescription drug misuse. Moreover, rarely are distinct pathways to different forms of prescription drug misuse considered.Methods: We tested mediational paths from personality to mental health symptoms to prescription drug misuse, informed by etiological models of addiction. We specified pathways from particular personality traits to unique forms of prescription drug misuse via specific mental health symptoms. We used semi-longitudinal data collected across two waves of the Co-Venture Trial. Our sample included students from 31 Canadian high schools tested in Grade 9 (n = 3,024) and again in Grade 10 (n = 2,869; 95% retention). Personality (hopelessness, anxiety sensitivity, impulsivity, sensation seeking) was assessed in Grade 9. Mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety, ADHD, conduct disorder) and prescription drug misuse (opioids, sedatives/tranquilizers, stimulants) were assessed at both time points.Results: Consistent with the negative affect regulation model, hopelessness was specifically associated with opioid misuse via depressive symptoms, and anxiety sensitivity was specifically associated with sedative/tranquilizer misuse via anxiety symptoms. Consistent with positive affect regulation, sensation seeking was directly associated with stimulant misuse. Consistent with the psychological dysregulation model, impulsivity was associated with stimulant misuse via ADHD symptoms. And consistent with the deviance proneness model, impulsivity was also associated with unconstrained (i.e., all three forms of) prescription drug misuse via conduct disorder symptoms.Conclusions: Screening for adolescents high in hopelessness, anxiety sensitivity, sensation seeking, or impulsivity and providing them with personality-matched cognitive-behavioral interventions may be helpful in preventing or mitigating prescription drug misuse. Our results point to the specific mental health symptoms that are important to target in each of these personality-matched interventions.

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“…Young people take prescription drugs for recreational purposes (e.g. to get 'high'); to relieve anxiety or relax; or to improve academic performance [5,[7][8]55]. Drugs might be acquired from friends or relatives, directly prescribed by a doctor, from a drug dealer, or via the internet [2,[56][57].…”

Section: Prescription Drugs Misusementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Misuse of prescription drugs is a growing health problem, involving not only specific drug-related risks, but also the context in which they are consumed, e.g. the concomitant abuse of other substances with synergistic effects, psychiatric diagnoses and social circumstances [4][5][6][7][8]. Therefore, side-effects, drug interactions and individual variation in responses (including both possible comorbidities, such as a mental disorder, renal or hepatic dysfunction, systemic diseases; and a previous substance abuse or dependence) [2,9] might be associated with a range of severe adverse drug reactions (ADRs), including seizures, arrythmias and respiratory arrest, and fatalities [10][11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Misuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs to obtain illicit highs: how pharmacists can prevent abuse

Chiappini¹,

Guirguis²,

Corkery³

et al. 2020

The Pharmaceutical Journal

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There have been increasing reports of misuse of a range of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs for recreational purposes. The use of psychoactive pharmaceuticals and 'pharming' are new, widespread phenomena involving the non-medical use of prescription and OTC drugs, which are recreationally used to achieve psychoactive effects either on their own or in combination with other substances. This article provides an overview of the topic, focusing on a range of medicines (e.g. prescription medicines such as quetiapine, gabapentinoids, Z-drugs, bupropion, venlafaxine, and over-thecounter medicines such as loperamide, dextromethorphan, benzydamine, promethazine, chlorphenamine, diphenhydramine and hyoscine butylbromide) that have emerged as misused and diverted, or already described through the literature, as well as recorded by drug users' online websites reporting new trends and experimentations of drug abuse. This rapidly changing drug scenario represents a challenge for pharmacy, psychiatry, public health and drug control policies. Moreover, possibly resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, drug use-habits and availability have changed, causing a shift in behaviours relating to both prescription and OTC medicines. Healthcare professionals should be aware of potential prescription drugs diversion, recognise misuse cases, consider the possibility of polydrug misuse, and prevent it where possible. Pharmacists can play a key role in preventing and reducing drug abuse and should be involved in evidence-based actions to detect, understand and prevent drug diversion activities and the adverse effects of drug-misuse.

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What about “Pharming”? Issues Regarding the Misuse of Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs

Cited by 46 publications

References 20 publications

Identifying New/Emerging Psychoactive Substances at the Time of COVID-19; A Web-Based Approach

Identifying New/Emerging Psychoactive Substances at the Time of COVID-19; A Web-Based Approach

Personality to Prescription Drug Misuse in Adolescents: Testing Affect Regulation, Psychological Dysregulation, and Deviance Proneness Pathways

Misuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs to obtain illicit highs: how pharmacists can prevent abuse

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