Medicine and Health Sciences | Open Access Articles

Dmt: Mechanisms, Psychological And Physiological Effects, And Its Dual Role As A Drug Of Abuse And Potential Health Benefit, Kayla Yarbrough, Solymar Santiago Bonilla, Garrett Evins, Jean Colón, Brandon Kitchens Aug 2024

Dmt: Mechanisms, Psychological And Physiological Effects, And Its Dual Role As A Drug Of Abuse And Potential Health Benefit, Kayla Yarbrough, Solymar Santiago Bonilla, Garrett Evins, Jean Colón, Brandon Kitchens

College of Pharmacy Student Research

N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a potent indolethylamine hallucinogen classified as a Schedule I substance, indicating a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. Despite this, DMT's unique pharmacological profile, characterized by its interaction with serotonin receptors, particularly 5-HT2A, and its ability to induce profound alterations in perception, emotion, and cognition, has spurred interest in its potential therapeutic applications. This paper explores DMT's mechanisms of action, its psychological and physiological effects, and the risks and side effects associated with its use. While DMT can cause vivid hallucinations, emotional responses ranging from euphoria to existential dread, and various physiological changes, …

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What Can Pharmacists Do To Reduce Drug Abuse?, Saul E. Alvarado-Rosario May 2024

What Can Pharmacists Do To Reduce Drug Abuse?, Saul E. Alvarado-Rosario

College of Pharmacy Student Research

This review paper provides an overview of the current status of substance abuse, involving both illicit drugs and medically regulated medications. Although global statistics are considered, the primary focus is the substance abuse crisis within the United States. Through review of experimental and observational peer-reviewed articles, this report examines the definition of substance abuse, demographic impacts, and governmental interventions, with particular emphasizes on the role of the pharmacy profession and individual pharmacists in addressing this widespread issue.

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Pharmacists Role In Preventing Drug Abuse, Renae L. Wilson Jul 2022

Pharmacists Role In Preventing Drug Abuse, Renae L. Wilson

College of Pharmacy Student Research

In 2019, there were approximately 332,000 pharmacists active in the US workforce, Data USA, 2019. A survey of 1,700 American adults, discovered, that 34% of Americans still rely on healthcare providers such as pharmacists, for information in relation their health, KRC Research, 2018. Pharmacists are one of the three most trusted health care professions and were found to be the second most trusted source for health information by Americans in 2005. Blendon et al., 2006 found, that information from pharmacist was trusted by 67%, of participants in their survey. One of the oaths pledged by pharmacist is, ‘ …

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Abuse Of Benzodiazepines Among The Elderly Population, Sofia A. Padilla Jun 2022

Abuse Of Benzodiazepines Among The Elderly Population, Sofia A. Padilla

College of Pharmacy Student Research

Throughout the years, benzodiazepines are safe drugs to treat several conditions among the elderly population, including anxiety, mixed anxiety-depression, and insomnia. However, inappropriate use of this drug, together with known risks such as cognitive impairment, delirium, and falls, is on the rise in these recent years, making the elderly population more inclined to suffer adverse effects when using them. The literature review paper will examine the use of benzodiazepines among the elderly population and their abuse through various published articles that addressed these concerns. The paper will also examine some potential solutions that will reduce the inappropriate use of benzodiazepine …

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Psychedelics: A Window To Mental Illness; Psilocybin And Depression, Kiomary Rivera Quintana Jul 2020