Nonprescription Drug Use Research Articles

Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Health Care Trainees, Staff and Faculty at an Academic Medical Center.

Background/Objectives: Health care workers are at greater risk for death by suicide compared to the general population and are less likely to seek assistance. More information about correlates of suicidality and treatment-seeking behavior are needed to reduce risk. Methods: The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention developed an Interactive Screening Program to identify and engage at-risk staff and trainees in health care settings. The study reports on the prevalence and demographic and clinical predictors of current suicidal thoughts, behaviors and mental health treatment at a single site (n = 5898) from 2009 to 2024. Results: The study found that 18.2% of respondents reported current suicidal thoughts and behaviors. These were more common among respondents who were younger, male, and who identified as a race/ethnicity other than non-Hispanic White. Suicidal thoughts and behaviors were more likely among those with higher PHQ-8 scores (OR = 1.23, p < 0.01) and those who endorsed maladaptive coping behaviors, hopelessness, loneliness, stress and nervousness (ORs 1.36-3.04, ps < 0.01). Current mental health treatment was more likely among women, non-Hispanic White respondents compared with Asian or Pacific Islander respondents, and nurses relative to physicians. Mental health treatment was also associated with higher PHQ-8 scores, lifetime suicide attempts, difficulty controlling eating and alcohol consumption, and recent feelings of anxiety, stress and nervousness. Conclusions: Findings suggest a continued need to identify and engage health care trainees and staff who are at risk for suicide and to establish new approaches to linking these individuals to resources or interventions aimed at reducing risk. The study identified male and/or Asian/Pacific Islander-identifying health care workers who reported intense loneliness and/or hopelessness, use of non-prescription drugs and recent suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors as high-risk individuals who may require enhanced methods of outreach, identification, acceptance and accessibility of treatment.

A novel prolonged exposure therapy protocol for improving therapy session attendance and PTSD symptoms among adults receiving buprenorphine or methadone treatment

BackgroundAmong individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD), the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is higher than in the general population. Prolonged exposure (PE) therapy is highly efficacious for improving PTSD symptoms. However, few studies have evaluated PE in individuals receiving medications for OUD (MOUD) and treatment completion rates have been low. This randomized trial evaluated the efficacy of a novel protocol for improving PE attendance and PTSD symptoms among adults receiving buprenorphine or methadone treatment. MethodsEligible participants (n=52) were randomized to one of three 12-week experimental conditions: (a) continued MOUD treatment as usual (TAU; n=17), (b) Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE; n=17), or (c) PE with financial incentives contingent upon PE session attendance (PE+; n=18). Primary outcomes included percent of PE sessions attended and Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5). ResultsPE+ participants attended significantly more therapy sessions than PE participants (88 % vs 33 %; p<.001). All three groups reported significant (p<.05) improvements in CAPS-5 scores between intake and week 12, with no significant group differences. However, PE+ participants achieved significantly greater improvements in self-reported PTSD symptoms (p=.02) than TAU participants, as well as higher rates of diagnostic remission compared to TAU and PE participants (p<.001). Participants in the two PE groups did not exhibit an increase in non-prescribed drug use. ConclusionsIn this study of adults receiving MOUD treatment, PE+ was efficacious for increasing PE attendance. Our findings also provide promising support for the efficacy of PE+ for improving PTSD symptoms without exacerbating substance use. Clinical trial numberNCT04104022

Social Determinants of Combined Use of Alcohol and Non-prescription Drugs in Older Adults: A Population-based Study in Chile

To analyze the social determinants associated with problematic alcohol and prescription drug use in the older adult population in the country. Analysis of SENDA's population-based survey of drug and alcohol use in older adults from 2021. A multivariate statistical model was used to identify the factors that increase or decrease the probability of occurrence of the phenomenon. The prevalence of alcohol and prescription drug use in older adults in Chile reached 12.8%. At the multivariate level, it is men, with less social support and without sentimental cohabitation, who have a higher probability of combining alcohol consumption with prescription drugs. The combination of alcohol and medicine without medical prescription is a potential public health problem, especially among older adults. This study represents a national effort to understand this phenomenon, identifying the most vulnerable groups with the highest prevalence of consumption to which public prevention policies should give special attention.

Pattern of Non-prescription Drug Use in Febrile children Prior to Outpatient Visit in a Semi Urban Tertiary Hospital

Background: Use of drugs without any prior medical consultation is a common practice in lower and middle income countries which causes health hazards and misuse or overuse of drugs. Fever is a common symptom for which parents seek medical care according to their knowledge and ability. Objective: To observe the patterns of drug use, source of drugs, and identify the factors associated with the use of non-prescription drugs in febrile children. Methods: This is a hospital based observational cross sectional study conducted over a period of four months in the Ashulia Women and Children Hospital (AWCH). Study population was the febrile children attending paediatric out patient department. Data was collected from parents/caregiver through a pretested questionnaire. Result: Among 614 study children 77.2% had fever for less than 5 days and out of them 544(90.7%) children were treated with different types of drugs. Out of them 90.1% children had drugs without any prescription mostly from drug retailers (54.8%). Commonly used drug was antipyretic (99.3%) followed by antibiotic (49.1%) and antihistamine (31.9%) and 73.16% children were treated with multiple drugs. Cefixime (40.8%) was found to be a widely used antibiotic. Perception of mild illness (53.3%) was reported predominantly as a cause of using drugs without medical advice. Conclusion: This study reveals use of multiple drugs including antibiotics for treating febrile illness of children prior to medical consultation and treatment was most commonly taken from drug retailers. BANGLADESH J CHILD HEALTH 2023; VOL 47 (1) : 39-42

Effects of Substance Use on Condomless Anal Sex in a Large Sample of Adolescent Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Within and Between Relationship Design.

Substance use is a significant risk factor for HIV infection among adolescent men who have sex with men (AMSM). Substance use may reduce the use of HIV prevention measures or increase the likelihood of engaging in activities with a higher risk of HIV transmission, but there is a lack of studies dedicated to analyzing these mechanisms in adolescents and young MSM. This study aimed to explore the impact of substance use on condomless anal sex (CAS) in a large, racially diverse sample of AMSM. Additionally, we investigated how an individual's general level of substance use moderated the association between substance use before sex and CAS at the partnership level. Baseline data for an HIV prevention intervention were collected through online surveys from April 2018 to June 2020. The sample consisted of 1624 AMSM (M age, 16.69 years) who reported at least one sexual partner in the previous 3months. Participants provided information about their three most recent sexual partners, including their relationship to the partner, PrEP use, frequency of alcohol, marijuana, and non-prescription drug use before sex, and the number of CAS acts. Participants also completed measures of their substance use frequency. Multilevel modeling in Mplus was used for data analysis, accounting for sexual partnerships nested within participants. All models controlled for PrEP use and relationship status. Results revealed a significant positive association between the frequency of non-prescription drug use before sex and CAS at the partnership level. This indicates that higher non-prescription drug use frequency before sex was associated with a greater number of CAS acts with partners. Moreover, the cross-level interaction between alcohol frequency and non-prescription drug use before sex was statistically significant. Specifically, for participants with high alcohol frequency scores, there was a significant positive association between non-prescription drug use before sex and CAS at the partnership level. AMSM with higher average alcohol consumption were more likely to engage in CAS when using non-prescription drugs prior to sex with a partner, compared to those with lower alcohol consumption. This study's use of multilevel data analysis contributes innovatively to the field by shedding light on how substance use operates within sexual relationships and different partnership dynamics. Tailored interventions targeting substance use should be developed to reduce HIV risk among AMSM.

The association of non-prescription drug use preceding out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and clinical outcomes

BackgroundClinicians may make prognostication decisions for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) using historical details pertaining to non-prescription drug use. However, differences in outcomes between OHCAs with evidence of non-prescription drug use, compared to other OHCAs, have not been well described. MethodsWe included emergency medical service-treated OHCA in the British Columbia Cardiac Arrest Registry (January/2019–June/2023). We classified cases as “non-prescription drug-associated cardiac arrests” (DA-OHCA) if there was evidence of non-prescription drug use preceding the OHCA, including witness accounts of use within 24 h or paraphernalia at the scene. We fit logistic regression models to investigate the association between DA-OHCA (vs. other cases) and favourable neurological outcome (Cerebral Performance Category [CPC] 1–2) and survival at hospital discharge, and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). ResultsOf 18,426 OHCA, 2,171 (12%) were classified as DA-OHCA. DA-OHCA tended to be younger, unwitnessed, occur during the evening or night, and present with a non-shockable rhythm, compared to other OHCA. DA-OHCA (221 [10%]) had a greater proportion (difference 1.8%; 95% CI 0.49–3.2) with favourable neurological outcomes compared to other OHCA (1,365 [8.4%]). Adjusted models did not identify an association of DA-OHCA with favourable neurological outcome (OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.87–1.33) or survival to hospital discharge (OR 1.13, 95% CI 0.93–1.38), but did demonstrate an association with ROSC (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.004–1.27). ConclusionIn unadjusted models, DA-OHCA was associated with an improved odds of survival and favourable neurological outcomes at hospital discharge, compared to other OHCA. However, we did not detect an association in adjusted analyses.

Examining the Associations Between Substance Misuse and Suicide Bereavement.

Focusing on the understudied question of substance misuse among suicide bereaved adults we investigated patterns of binge drinking and non-prescribed drug use among a recently bereaved sample (n = 1,132). Comparing our respondents to the non-bereaved, those in the 2022 National Survey of Drug Use and Health (n = 71,369), we did not find heightened problematical substance misuses among our respondents. With t-tests and multiple regression analyses we examined whether binge drinkers and non-prescribed drug users had heightened levels of grief difficulties, PTSD, self-blaming and depression compared to others not bingeing or using non-prescribed drugs. Results showed binge drinkers had more of all these grieving problems when important confounding variables were also considered. Analysis of the demographic correlates of bingeing showed them dimly aware of their own additional grieving and substance misusing problems. Since 75% indicated being under the care of counseling professionals, this represents an important opportunity for psycho-educational helping.

Prescription and Non-Prescription Drug Use during the Covid-19 Pandemic among Racial-Ethnic Identities

Prescription and Non-Prescription Drug Use during the Covid-19 Pandemic among Racial-Ethnic Identities

Laboratorian Interpretation of Drug Testing Results in Pain Management: Lessons From College of American Pathologists Proficiency Testing.

Accurate interpretation of drug test results is key to appropriate patient care in numerous settings, including pain management. Despite recommendations that providers should consult laboratory professionals for guidance when necessary, literature demonstrating laboratorian expertise in drug test interpretation is lacking. To evaluate participating laboratories' performance on the case-based, interpretive ("dry") challenge included with each Drug Monitoring for Pain Management proficiency testing program from 2012-2023. All challenges (n = 23) required participants to identify if drug test results were consistent or inconsistent with prescribed medications in the case history. Relevant medications, presumptive and confirmatory drug test results, and participant responses were extracted from program summary reports and examined for performance and common themes. Overall, 91.8% (6821 of 7431) of participant responses correctly identified whether drug testing was consistent with medications. There were 8 challenges with participant scores less than 91.8% (range, 59.8% [49 of 82 responses] to 88.9% [193 of 217 responses]). Common knowledge gaps identified in these challenges included false-positive presumptive (screening) results, minor metabolism of opiates, and recognizing that presence of a nonprescribed drug is inconsistent with prescribed medications. Although some participants repeatedly responded incorrectly, there were no associations between laboratory type, personnel responding, or analytical performance and incorrect responses to interpretative challenges. Program participants performed well overall, but several concerning educational gaps were identified. Laboratorians have a role in providing interpretative guidance for drug testing and should emphasize ongoing education to ensure competence in the setting of constantly changing prescribed and nonprescribed drug use.

Self-medication practice and associated factor among adult household members in Gurage Zone, Southern Ethiopia, Ethiopia, 2022: a cross-sectional study

Background: Self-medication refers to the use of medicinal products by the consumers to treat selfrecognized disorders or symptoms, or the intermittent or continued use of medication is not prescribed by a physician for chronic or recurring diseases or symptoms. Globally, the prevalence of selfmedication is estimated to be around 27 – 99.4% according to different studies. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess self-medication practice and associated factors among adult household members of Gubre town from April 28 to June 27, 2022. Data collection from 399 households was conducted by means of a systematic random sampling technique using a pre-tested questionnaire. Result: Among 398 respondents, 113 (28.4%) of them were found to practice self-medication. Two hundred and forty-three (61.05%) participants reported to have fallen sick in the 2 weeks before the survey. Being married (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.599, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09 – 2.621), being literate (AOR = 1.672, 95% CI: 1.032 – 2.01), perceiving self-medication as an acceptable practice (AOR = 1.652, 95% CI: 1.32 – 1.887), peer influence (AOR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.304 – 2.321), and access to medical information (AOR = 1.452, 95% CI: 1.263 – 1.570) were significantly associated with self-medication practice. Conclusion: Nearly a quarter of the study participants practice self-medication. Being married, being literate, perceiving self-medication as an acceptable practice, peer influence, and access to medical information were significantly associated with self-medication practice. Relevance for Patients: Tailored interventions designed by policymakers, program designer, and implementers should aim to reduce or eliminate non-prescribed drug use among the community through the education on the impact of self-medication on individual health.

Trends in drug poisoning hospitalizations over ten years in South Korea: mortality and length of hospital stay

Drug poisoning has evolved in South Korea, with changes in substance availability and a rise in non-lethal abuse among youth, necessitating an updated understanding of this public health concern. This study aims to investigate the shifts in toxicity-causing substances and their impacts over the past decade, providing a comprehensive overview to inform future interventions. This study were conducted as a retrospective observational study utilizing the Korea National Hospital Discharge In-depth Injury Survey, including data from January 2011–December 2020. Hospitalization patterns, durations and corresponding mortality rates were examined. The study, analyzing 10,017 patients hospitalized for drug poisoning, observed a decrease in average hospital stay (average decrease from 7.1 days in 2011 to 5.8 days in 2020) and mortality rate (7.7% in 2011 to 2.6% in 2020), with older adults having the longest stays and highest mortality. The use of prescription and non-prescription drugs as intoxicants increased, while pesticide use decreased, with older adults showing the highest frequency of pesticide poisoning. Factors affecting length of stay and mortality rate included age, sex and intent, with statistical analyses showing significant correlations. An increase in poisonings was caused by prescription and non-prescription drugs, whereas there was a decrease in poisonings caused by pesticides. Despite decreases in drug poisoning-related deaths in South Korea, largely attributed to national control for high-toxic agents and improved medical systems, the rising number of incidents involving prescription and over-the-counter medications highlights the urgent need for ongoing surveillance and focused interventions.

Non-prescription drug-associated out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: Changes in incidence over time and the odds of receiving resuscitation

BackgroundMultiple jurisdictions reported a significant increase in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) incidence over the past decade, however the reasons for this remain unclear. We investigated how drug-associated OHCA (DA-OHCA) contributed to overall OHCA incidence, and whether the likelihood of treatment by emergency medical services (EMS) was associated with DA-OHCA classification. MethodsUsing a large provincial cardiac arrest registry, we included consecutive, non-traumatic adult OHCA from 2016–2022. We classified as drug-associated if there were historical accounts of non-prescription drug use within the preceding 24 hours or evidence of paraphernalia at the scene. We examined year-by-year trends in OHCA and DA-OHCA incidence. We also investigated the association between DA-OHCA and odds of EMS treatment using an adjusted logistic regression model. ResultsOf 33,365 EMS-assessed cases, 1,985/18,591 (11%) of EMS-treated OHCA and 887/9,200 (9.6%) of EMS-untreated OHCA were DA-OHCA. Of EMS-treated DA-OHCA, the median age was 40 years (IQR 31–51), 1,059 (53%) had a known history of non-prescription drug use, and 570 (29%) were public-location. From 2016 to 2022, EMS-treated OHCA incidence increased from 60 to 79 per 100,000 person-years; EMS-treated DA-OHCA incidence increased from 3.7 to 9.1 per 100,000 person-years. The proportion of overall OHCA classified as DA-OHCA increased from 6.1% to 11.5%. DA-OHCA was associated with greater odds of EMS treatment (AOR 1.34; 95%CI 1.13–1.58). ConclusionAlthough EMS-treated DA-OHCA incidence increased by nearly three-fold, it comprised a minority of the overall OHCA increase during the study period. DA-OHCA was associated with an increased likelihood of EMS treatment.

Trends in co-prescribed opioids and benzodiazepines, non-prescribed opioids and benzodiazepines, and schedule-I drugs in the United States, 2013 to 2019

Concurrent opioid and benzodiazepine users are at increased risk of overdose death, compared to opioid-only users.The objective of this study was to understand recent time trends in opioid and benzodiazepine concurrent use, misuse, and schedule-I drug use, and how these differ by age, sex and geographic region. Commercial, United States medical insurance claims data and urine drug test results from 2013 to 2019 were used to study the outcomes of concurrent use (n = 756,258), schedule-I drug use (n = 746,672) and prescription misuse (n = 452,523). Drug use outcomes were studied at quarterly time points for each year.Data analysis included joinpoint regression models to estimate quarterly drug use rates, determined by positive urine tests for corresponding drug categories, and was conducted from November 2021 through January 2022. Concurrent use decreased from 19.3% to 9.8%, misuse generally decreased from 75.6% to 55.1%, and schedule-I use increased from 8.9% to 13.8%, from 2013 to 2019. Concurrent use decreased at greater rates after 2016, after the Centers for Disease Control and Food and Drug Administration guidelines against concurrent use were released, while schedule-I use increased, notably after the 2014 hydrocodone reschedule. This indicates a potential shift from prescription use to non-prescribed drug use, where most affected groups included males, younger individuals, and those residing in Northeastern regions.Study results support public health initiatives focused on policy that increases access to multimodal pain management and substance use disorder management programs—critical steps in preventing patients from seeking non-prescribed drugs for self- medicating due to pain or addiction.

Prevalence and associated factors of non-medical use of prescription drugs among adolescents in secondary schools in Buea, Cameroon: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe non-medical use of prescription drugs is a growing public health problem worldwide. Recent trends in Cameroon show that the use of psychoactive substances, among which are prescription drugs by adolescents is becoming a public health issue and is linked to juvenile delinquency and violence in schools. However, there is a paucity of data on the burden of this phenomenon among adolescent secondary school students in the country. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with the use of non-prescription drugs in secondary schools in Buea, South West region of Cameroon.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study from 1st February 2021 to 30th April 2021. Secondary school students were recruited using a multistage stratified cluster sampling. A modified and standardized version of the World Health Organization student drug-use survey model questionnaire was used. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea (No. 2021/1273–02/UB/SG/IRB/FHS). The Statistical Package for Social Sciences, IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 25.0. was used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sociodemographic characteristics of participants. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to explore associated factors of non-medical use of prescription drugs.ResultsA total of 570 participants were enrolled for the study, and 510 participants responded giving a response rate of 89.5%. The prevalence of non-medical use of prescription drugs was 15.3%, tramadol being the most used. Motivators for non-medical use of prescription drugs were “to work longer”, “to be courageous”, and “curiosity”. Logistic regression results showed that alcohol consumption [OR 3.68; 95% CI: 2.24–6.06; p < 0.001], smoking [OR 6.00; 95% CI: 3.07–11.75; p < 0.001] and use of illicit drugs [OR 10.85; 95% CI: 5.48–21.48; p < 0.001] were independent factors associated with non-medical use of prescription drugs.ConclusionNon-medical use of prescription drugs was prevalent among adolescent secondary school students in Buea, Cameroon. Tramadol is the main drug of prescription involved. Our results can guide policymakers on strategies to screen, prevent and control non-medical use of prescription drugs among secondary school students in Cameroon.

Association of substance use with outcomes in mildly ill COVID-19 outpatients

BackgroundSmoking, alcohol use, and non-prescription drug use are associated with worsened COVID-19 outcomes in hospitalized patients. Whether there is an association between substance use and outcomes in patients with COVID-19 who visited the Emergency Department (ED) but did not require hospitalization has not been well established. We investigated whether smoking, alcohol, and non-prescription drug use were associated with worsened COVID-19 outcomes among such patients presenting to the ED. MethodsWe conducted a secondary analysis of a clinical trial which sought to determine the effect of early convalescent plasma administration in patients presenting to the ED within 7 days of onset of mild COVID-19 symptoms. The study recruited 511 participants who were aged 50 years or older or had one or more risk factors for severe COVID-19. The primary outcome was disease progression within 15 days after randomization, which was defined as a composite of hospital admission for any reason, seeking emergency or urgent care, or death without hospitalization. Secondary outcomes included: no hospitalization within 30 days post-randomization, symptom worsening on the 5-category COVID-19 outpatient ordinal scale within 15 days post-randomization, and all-cause mortality. Substance use was categorized into either use or never use based on participant self-report. Logistic regression models were used to determine the association between substance use and outcomes. ResultsThe mean age of the 511 patients enrolled was 52 years and the majority were females (274, 54%). Approximately 213 (42%) were non-Hispanic Whites, 156 (30%) Hispanics, 100 (20%) non-Hispanic Blacks, 18 (4%) non-Hispanic Asian, 8 (1%) American Indian Alaskan, and 16 (3%) unknown race.Tobacco 152 (30%) was the most common substance use reported. Alcohol use 36 (7%) and non-prescription drug use 33 (6%) were less common. Tobacco use and non-prescription drug use were associated with an increased risk for meeting the primary outcome ((tobacco: adjusted odds ratio [aOR] =2.08; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.37–3.15) and (drug: aOR =2.41; 95%CI: 1.17–5.00)) and increased risk for symptom worsening on the 5-category COVID-19 outpatient scale ((tobacco: aOR = 1.62; 95%CI: 1.09–2.42) and (drug: aOR = 2.32 95% CI: 1.10–4.87)) compared to non-use after adjusting for age, sex, plasma administration, and comorbidity. ConclusionTobacco and non-prescription drug use but not alcohol use were associated with worsened COVID-19 outcomes in patients who did not require hospitalization on their initial presentation. Future studies should determine the quantity, duration, and type of drug/tobacco use that may worsen COVID-19.

Ophthalmic Self-Medication Practices and Associated Factors of Using Steroid Eye Drops Among Adult Ophthalmic Patients.

Self-medication is defined as the selection of medicines by individuals to treat self-diagnosed ophthalmic symptoms without consultation of healthcare professionals. Topical steroids can produce severe eye-threatening complications, including the elevation of intraocular pressure (IOP) with possible development of glaucoma and infrequent optic nerve damage. In recent times, many over-the-counter (OTC) ophthalmic preparations are possible without a prescription. There are a lot of concerns about the safety of long-term use of nonprescription ophthalmic drugs, which may lead to a variety of serious ocular complications. To determine the prevalence of self-medication ocular topical steroid practices and associated factors among adult ophthalmic patients attending ophthalmology clinics at King Saud Medical City (KSMC) in Riyadh. A cross-sectional study targeted adults aged 18 or older who had used topical steroids eye drops. The data were collected through interviews, and an online questionnaire was distributed among patients who attended ophthalmology clinics between December 2022 and February 2023. From a total of 308 responses, 92 (29.8%) were using ocular topical, 58 (18.8%) with a prescription, five (1.6%) without a prescription, and 29 (9.4%) with and without a prescription, while 216 (70.1%) did not use it. The frequency of using ocular topical steroids without a prescription among participants was 11 (12%) once and 33 (35%) many times. Additionally, 26 (28.3%) were having complications, mostly eye infections (11, 12.4%), glaucoma (8, 9%), and cataracts (6, 6.7%). The reasons for practicing self-medication ofsteroid eye drops among participants were 14 (15.2%) repeated symptoms, 11 (15.2%) had heard advice from friends, and 11 (15.2%) think they had enough knowledge. The study reported the use of self-medication with steroids in ophthalmology clinics at KSMC, even though detecting a high level of perception and acceptable practices among participants. This practice is mainly due to participants having repeated symptoms and thinking they have enough knowledge. Educating the patients would help in reducing the incidence of self-medication steroid eye drops and its associated complications.

Are Prior Sexual Risk Behaviors Associated With Adherence to COVID-19 Preventative Behaviors Among Young Black Men?

Behavioral clustering is a phenomenon in which several risk or protective behaviors co-occur in an individual. We sought to determine if prior sexual risk behaviors among young Black men who have sex with women could predict subsequent nonadherence to COVID-19 prevention behaviors. Young Black men who have sex with women aged 15 to 24 years previously enrolled in a community-based Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) screening program were enrolled in a substudy between May and June 2020 and asked about adherence to 4 COVID-19 recommended nonpharmaceutical prevention behaviors (handwashing, mask wearing, social distancing, and following stay at home orders). Data from the original study were used to elicit the follow prepandemic behaviors including having multiple sex partners, inconsistent condom use, prior sexually transmitted infection testing behaviors, and substance use. Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used to assess the association between historic risk behaviors and COVID-19 behavior score. There were 109 men included in the analysis, with a mean (SD) age of 20.5 (2.0) years. Inconsistent condom use, multiple sex partners, and prior HIV/sexually transmitted infection testing status were not associated with fewer COVID-19 preventive behaviors, but men who used any nonprescription drugs ( P = 0.001) or marijuana only ( P = 0.028) had a lower median COVID-19 preventative score compared with those who did not engage in those activities. Although none of the sexual risk behavior variables were associated, self-reported nonprescription drug and marijuana use were both significant predictors of lower adherence to COVID-19 preventative behaviors among young Black men. Young men who use drugs may need additional support to promote COVID-19 preventative behavior uptake.

Suspected inappropriate use of prescription and non-prescription drugs among requesting customers: A Saudi community pharmacists’ perspective

BackgroundInappropriate use of medications is a global health concern, and this is attributed to the increased accessibility to prescription and non-prescription (over-the-counter) drugs at community pharmacies. We investigated the inappropriate use of prescription and non-prescription drugs in community pharmacies based on the perspectives of the community pharmacists in Saudi Arabia. MethodsThis was a questionnaire-based, cross-sectional survey which employed convenient sampling (snowball technique) to recruit participants. Being a licensed practicing pharmacist in a retail chain or an independent community pharmacy was the inclusion criteria. Participants were asked to report the drugs they suspected of being inappropriately used along with the frequency, age and gender of the suspected customers. Pharmacists were also asked to mention the action taken to limit inappropriate use at their pharmacy. ResultsA total of 397 community pharmacists completed the questionnaire (86.9 % response rate). 86.4% of the pharmacists suspected some level of abuse or misuse to have occurred. After receiving the questionnaire, the pharmacists reported suspected inappropriate use as encountered during the past three months. Cumulative inappropriate use was reported 1069 times (prescription drugs – 530; non-prescription drugs – 539). The top three inappropriately used prescription-drug categories were gabapentinoids (22.5%), antipsychotics (17.5%) and topical corticosteroids (12.1%). Among non-prescription drugs, cough products (33.2%) ranked first, followed by cold and flu products (29.5%) and first-generation antihistamines (10.8%). The cross tabulations revealed that being in the age range of 26–50 years and being a male was significantly associated (p < 0.001) with abuse/misuse of antipsychotics, antidepressants, gabapentinoids, cough products and first-generation antihistamines. Eye products (Bimatoprost) and skin products abuse/misuse had significant association with female gender (p < 0.001) ConclusionThe results of our study provide crucial information to the healthcare authorities regarding the medications that can be inappropriately used at the community pharmacies in Saudi Arabia which necessitates implementation of stringent dispensing regulations. Educational programs can be implemented to increase the awareness among public regarding the harmful effects of inappropriate use of drugs.

Detection of methadone and buprenorphine in urine samples from inmates of German prisons.

The use of non-prescribed opioid substitution drugs is a serious public health problem, involving general population as well as vulnerable populations such as prisoners. The estimation of the prevalence of opioid substitution drug misuse in prisoners is crucial to suggest strategies to contrast this phenomenon and reduce the associated morbidity and mortality. The present study aimed to provide an objective estimation of the prevalence of illicit use of methadone and buprenorphine in two German prisons. Urine samples were collected from inmates of Freiburg and Offenburg prisons at random times and tested for the detection of methadone, buprenorphine and their metabolites. Analyses were performed by a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method. In total 678 inmates participated in this study. The participation rate was about 60% of all permanent inmates. Of the 675 samples suitable for the analysis, 70 samples (10.4%) tested positive for methadone, 70 samples (10.4%) for buprenorphine, and 4 samples (0.6%) for both drugs. At least 100 samples (14.8%) were not associated with reported prescribed-opioid substitution treatment (OST). Buprenorphine was the most common illicitly used drug. In one of the prisons, buprenorphine was brought in from the outside. The present cross-sectional experimental study was able to provide reliable information regarding the illicit use of opioid substitution drugs in prisons.

Multilevel Risk and Protective Factors for Frequent and Nonfrequent Past-30-Day Marijuana Use: Findings From a Representative Sample of High School Youth.

Research has identified many factors associated with past-30-day (P30D) marijuana use among youth but has not assessed factors that may differentiate youth who use frequently from youth who do not. We took a multilevel approach to identify and compare risk and protective factors associated with frequent and nonfrequent P30D marijuana use among high school students. Individual-level data were obtained from the 2019 Nevada Youth Risk Behavior Survey (completed by 4,980 high school youth from 99 schools); school-level data were obtained from the state's Department of Education. A multinomial, multilevel model was used to estimate the association between risk and protective factors at the individual and school levels and a three-level frequency of use outcome: no P30D use (0 times), nonfrequent P30D use (1-19 times), and frequent P30D use (≥20 times). At the individual level, other P30D substance use, exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), perceived ease of access, and perceived risk were associated with both frequent and nonfrequent use, but the relationships were generally stronger for frequent use. P30D nonprescription drug use and school connectedness were associated with frequent use only. At the school level, number of students with individualized education programs, number of incidents involving possession of controlled substances, and school type were associated with frequent use only. Individual and school-based interventions designed to address the factors uniquely or strongly associated with frequent marijuana use may prevent escalation from occasional use to more frequent use among high school youth.