APhA Publishes Reference On Drugs And Substances Of Abuse

Main Category: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs
Article Date: 29 Jun 2009 - 3:00 PDT

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The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) will publish in mid-July the second edition of Pagliaros' Comprehensive Guide to Drugs and Substances of Abuse. Written by veteran authors Louis A. Pagliaro and Ann Marie Pagliaro, the reference includes more than 100 monographs-11 of them new-dealing with each of the major drugs and substances of abuse used in North America, from acetone to zopiclone.

Each monograph lists generic synonyms, brand or trade names, chemical names, "street" names, and pharmacologic classification. After a brief overview of the drug or substance of abuse, with attention to its source, history, and patterns of use, the following key features are clearly and concisely presented:

- Available dosage forms and common routes and methods of administration
- Mechanisms of action and related pharmacology
- Currently approved indications for medical use
- Desired actions or reasons for personal use
- Toxicity, including acute and chronic adverse effects
- Potential for physical and psychological dependence
- Related withdrawal syndromes, including signs and symptoms
- Information concerning overdosage and its general management, including the availability of specific antidotes

The reference is intended for health care providers, especially specialists in treatment of drug and substance abuse; students of pharmacy, medicine, nursing, and other allied health fields; law enforcement personnel; emergency responders; mental health counselors; and social workers.

Louis A. Pagliaro, MS, PharmD, PhD, is a former professor (Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Pharmacopsychology). Ann Marie Pagliaro, BSN, MSN, PhD candidate, is a former professor (Nursing) and director of the Substance Abusology and Clinical Pharmacology Research Group. Both held positions for over 30 years as tenured academic staff at the University of Alberta before retiring in 2008, and both now are Professors Emeriti. They have published widely and are known both nationally and internationally as leading authorities in the field of drug and substance abuse. They continue to consult for many public and private organizations. This is their 15th textbook.

Source
American Pharmacists Association (APhA)