Pharmacology - Articles - Page 4

Perioperative Management of Patients on Buprenorphine Maintenance

November 22, 2019

Gregory Acampora, MD

Psychiatrist, Pain Management Center, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Center for Addiction Medicine, Boston, MA. Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Acampora has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

For patients on buprenorphine maintenance facing surgery, it is crucial to balance the need to minimize pain while addressing the risk of relapse. In this interview, Dr. Gregory Acampora guides us through the specifics on perioperatively managing patients on varying doses of buprenorphine maintenance.

Varenicline and Bupropion: Soaring Again With EAGLES?

November 22, 2019

Nicholas Rosenlicht, MD.

Nicholas Rosenlicht, MD. Dr. Rosenlicht has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

This research update unpacks the details behind the landmark “EAGLES” trial (Evaluating Adverse Events in a Global Smoking Cessation Study), which led to the removal of the varenicline black box warning.

The COMBINE Study: A Core Paper in the Treatment of AUD

November 22, 2019

Brian Frankel, MD

Brian Frankel, MD Dr. Frankel has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

This research update summarizes the results of the landmark COMBINE study which evaluated the effectiveness of stand-alone and combined pharmacological and behavioral interventions for treating alcohol use disorder.

Pharmacology for GAD: Complex Choices

November 15, 2019

Randall Moore, MD.

Randall Moore, MD. Dr. Moore has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

A meta-analysis of 25 medications in over 25,000 patients with generalized anxiety disorder. The usual FDA-approved options are there, along with some surprises. Not all are equal, but the most effective of the bunch carries so many side effects that we can only recommend it as a last resort.

A New Way to Talk About Psych Meds

September 9, 2019

Psychiatrist Shawn Christopher Shea shares his top tips on engaging patients in their medication treatment. Dr. Shea has been fine tuning the art of doctor-patient communications for over 30 years through best-selling texts on psychiatric interviewing and suicide assessment. His latest book, The Medication Interest Model, presents a unique model for talking...

Mirtazapine Augmentation: Running Low on Rocket Fuel

August 30, 2019

Thomas Jordan, MD and Chris Aiken, MD.

Thomas Jordan, MD and Chris Aiken, MD. Dr. Jordan and Dr. Aiken have disclosed that they have no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Dubbed “California Rocket Fuel” by Stephen Stahl, the combination of venlafaxine and mirtazapine seemed to hit all the right receptors. The hype may have gotten a little ahead of the evidence on this one, however, as three new studies reveal.

Is Paxil the Best SSRI for Anxiety?

August 30, 2019

Chris Aiken, MD

Chris Aiken, MD Dr. Aiken has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Paxil built its reputation as the best SSRI for anxiety, but the data suggests the opposite.

l-Methylfolate for Depression: Costly Mistake or Good Thinking?

August 1, 2019

Folic acid and l-methylfolate are two versions of the same vitamin. Both are popular for antidepressant augmentation, but one is a expensive prescription. We compared them side-by-side and found that one has a slight advantage.

New Generic Versions of Naloxone

August 1, 2019

Talia Puzantian, PharmD, BCPP.

Talia Puzantian, PharmD, BCPP. Dr. Puzantian has disclosed that she has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Naloxone, a rescue medication effective for reversing opioid overdose, will soon be available in two generic forms for layperson use. This news of note summarizes these generic, lower-cost products.

A New Treatment for Bipolar Depression

August 1, 2019

With Vrylar’s new approval, there are now four atypicals antipsychotics with an indication in bipolar depression. Only two of these, however, are known to work in mania as well as depression. None of the atypicals stands out as the perfect choice for bipolar depression, but there are pros and cons to each that make them fitter better with certain patients.