Other Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Commons^™

Unlocking Hope: Mirtazapine's Promise In Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Treatment, Rebecca K. Hicks, Iram Kingson, Jordan Gaal, Suzanne Holroyd

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic and debilitating psychiatric condition characterized by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions). While selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are first-line treatments for OCD, a significant proportion of patients remain refractory to these interventions. Mirtazapine, an atypical antidepressant with unique pharmacological properties, has emerged as a potential adjunctive therapy for treatment-resistant OCD. This review synthesizes existing evidence regarding the efficacy and safety profile of mirtazapine in OCD management. We analyze clinical trials, observational studies, and case reports, distinguishing high- vs. low-quality evidence, and discuss mechanisms underlying mirtazapine's therapeutic effects. Additionally, …

Use Of Naltrexone For Treating Binge Eating And Food Obsession Related To Trauma: A Case Report And Literature Review, Rebecca K. Hicks, Iram Kingson, Jordan Gaal, Suzanne Holroyd

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Impulse-control disorders, including those related to eating behaviors, are complex conditions with limited pharmacologic treatment options. While naltrexone is primarily used for opioid and alcohol dependence, emerging research suggests it may also be effective in managing a variety of impulse-driven conditions. As a pure opioid antagonist, naltrexone’s mechanism of action involves the inhibition of opioid receptors on dopaminergic neurons involved in the reward pathway of the brain, thereby reducing the reinforcing effects of substances such as alcohol and opioids. Research suggests that through this mechanism of action, naltrexone shows promise in treating impulsive behaviors also driven by the reward pathway, …

Naloxone And Dexmedetomidine Reversal Of The Effects Of Methamphetamine And Fentanyl Co-Administration, Wesley R. Tackett

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Agitation is common amongst individuals who have taken methamphetamine (METH) when they arrive at the emergency room (ER). Fentanyl (FENT) and other opioids can mask this agitation which could then unexpectedly present after the reversal of these drugs by naloxone (NLX). Commonly used medications for agitation caused by METH include benzodiazepine sedatives (like alprazolam and similar drugs), but these drugs can produce dangerous sedation and inhibition of breathing when combined with opioids such as FENT. Therefore, the purpose of this MS thesis project was to use a rat model of METH-FENT overdose to test the ability of opioid antagonist NLX …

Eruptive Lentigines Confined To Resolving Psoriatic Plaques Following Treatment With Guselkumab, Jacob R. Kilgore Md, James C. Curry, Shane E. Cook Md

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Eruptive lentigines in the area of resolving psoriatic plaques has been well documented in the literature following successful treatment with multiple therapies. This is historically associated with light treatment but has been expanded to include other therapies such as anti-tumor necrosis factor therapies and, more recently, some biologics⁵. Guselkumab (Tremfya) is an IgG1λ monoclonal antibody used in the treatment of plaque psoriasis with only one case of eruptive lentigines confined to resolving psoriatic plaques (ELRP) noted as a side effect. We present the second such case of ELRP associated with successful treatment of plaque psoriasis with Guselkumab, as …

Treatment Of Tardive Dyskinesia With High Dose Vitamin B6 Associated With Depression, Marjorie Mccoy, Adam Schindzielorz, Suzanne Holroyd

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a movement disorder associated with dopamine receptor blocking medications. Recommended treatments for TD include discontinuing the causative agent, adding vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) inhibitors, or adding vitamin B6. We present a 66-year-old Caucasian male with bipolar I disorder who developed TD while on lithium and quetiapine having been euthymic on this regimen for three years. He was initially treated with 1200 mg B6 daily. This failed to improve his TD and was associated with a depressive episode. He switched to valbenazine 40 mg daily which improved his TD and concurrently his mood, but months later …

Cost-Effectiveness Of Using Standardized Patients To Assess Student-Pharmacist Communication Skills, Chris Gillette, Robert B. Stanton, Nicole Rockich-Winston, Michael Rudolph, H. Glenn Anderson Jr.

Pharmacy Practice & Administration

Objective. To explore the cost-effectiveness of including standardized patients (SP) in the didactic curriculum for application and assessment of students’ pharmacist-patient communication skills.

Methods. Five role play/case study (RP/CS) activities from a communication skills curriculum were replaced with five SP encounters. Communication was assessed using a rubric. This study developed an economic model to examine the costs and effectiveness of replacing RP/CS events with SP events in knowledge-application and communication assessment. Costs consisted of SP hourly wages for training and delivery of SP events. Outcomes examined were the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per student.

Results. The ICER comparing SP to …

Could The Pharmaceutical Industry Benefit From Full-Scale Adoption Of Radio-Frequency Identification (Rfid) Technology With New Regulations?, Alberto Coustasse Drph, Md, Mba, Mph, Craig Kimble Pharmd, Mba, Ms, Bcacp, Robert B. Stanton Mba, Pharmd, Mariah Naylor

Management Faculty Research

Healthcare regulators are directing attention to the pharmaceutical supply chain with the passage of the Drug Quality and Security Act (DQSA) and the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA). Adoption of Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) technology has the ability to improve compliance, reduce costs, and improve safety in the supply chain but its implementation has been limited; primarily because of hardware and tag costs. The purpose of this research study was to analyze the benefits to the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare system of the adoption of RFID technology as a result of newly implemented supply chain regulations. The methodology was a …

Ho-1 Upregulation Attenuates Adipocyte Dysfunction, Obesity, And Isoprostane Levels In Mice Fed High Fructose Diets, Zeid Khitan, Mohit Harsh, Komal Sodhi, Joseph I. Shapiro Md, Nader G. Abraham

Pharmaceutical Science and Research

Background. Fructose metabolism is an unregulated metabolic pathway and excessive fructose consumption is known to activate ROS.HO-1 is a potent antioxidant gene that plays a key role in decreasing ROS and isoprostanes.We examinedwhether the fructosemediated increase in adipocyte dysfunction involves an increase in isoprostanes and that pharmacological induction ofHO-1would decrease both isoprostane levels and adipogenesis. Methods and Results. We examined the effect of fructose, on adipogenesis in human MSCs in the presence and absence of CoPP, an inducer of HO-1. Fructose increased adipogenesis and the number of large lipid droplets while decreasing the number of small lipid droplets (𝑃 < 0.05). Levels of heme and isoprostane in fructose treated MSC-derived adipocytes were increased. CoPP reversed these effects andmarkedly increasedHO-1 and theWnt signaling pathway. Thehigh fructose diet increased heme levels in adipose tissue and increased circulating isoprostane levels (𝑃 < 0.05 versus control). Fructose diets decreasedHO-1 and adiponectin levels in adipose tissue. Induction ofHO-1 by CoPP decreased isoprostane synthesis (𝑃 < 0.05 versus fructose). Conclusion. Fructose treatment resulted in increased isoprostane production and adipocyte dysfunction, which was reversed by the increased expression of HO-1.

Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Ligands Inhibit Igf-Ii And Adipokine Stimulated Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation, Travis B. Salisbury, Gary Z. Morris, Justin K. Tomblin, Ateeq R. Chaudhry, Carla Cook, Nalini Santanam

Pharmaceutical Science and Research

Obesity increases human cancer risk and the risk for cancer recurrence. Adipocytes secrete paracrine factors termed adipokines that stimulate signaling in cancer cells that induce proliferation. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that plays roles in tumorigenesis, is regulated by exogenous lipophilic chemicals, and has been explored as a therapeutic target for cancer therapy. Whether exogenous AHR ligands modulate adipokine stimulated breast cancer cell proliferation has not been investigated. We provide evidence that adipocytes secrete insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-2) at levels that stimulate the proliferation of human estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer cells. Using …

Reliability And Credibility Of Progress Test Criteria, Developed By Alumni, Faculty, And Mixed Alumni-Faculty Judge Panels, H. Glenn Anderson Pharmd, Arthur A. Nelson Phd

Pharmacy Practice & Administration

Objective. To compare the reliability and credibility of Angoff-based, absolute criteria derived by faculty, alumni, and a combination of alumni and faculty judge panels.

Methods. Independently, faculty, alumni, and mixed faculty-alumni judge panels developed pass/fail criteria for an 86-item test. Generalizability and decision studies were performed. Root mean square errors (RMSE) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for reliability and credibility assessment. School graduate performance upon the North American Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) was the comparator for credibility assessment.

Results. RMSEs were 1.06%, 1.42%, and 2.32% for the alumni, faculty, and mixed judge panels respectively. The school's NAPLEX pass rate was …

Reactive Oxygen Species Modulation Of Na/K-Atpase Regulates Fibrosis And Renal Proximal Tubular Sodium Handling, Jiang Liu, David J. Kennedy, Yanling Yan, Joseph I. Shapiro Md

Pharmaceutical Science and Research

The Na/K-ATPase is the primary force regulating renal sodium handling and plays a key role in both ion homeostasis and blood pressure regulation. Recently, cardiotonic steroids (CTS)-mediated Na/K-ATPase signaling has been shown to regulate fibrosis, renal proximal tubule (RPT) sodium reabsorption, and experimental Dahl salt-sensitive hypertension in response to a high-salt diet. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are an important modulator of nephron ion transport. As there is limited knowledge regarding the role of ROS-mediated fibrosis and RPT sodium reabsorption through the Na/K-ATPase, the focus of this review is to examine the possible role of ROS in the regulation of Na/K-ATPase …

Concurrent Validation Of The Dash And The Quickdash In Comparison To Neck-Specific Scales In Patients With Neck Pain, Saurabh Mehta, Joy Macdermid, Lisa Carlesso, Colleen Mcphee

Physical Therapy Faculty Research

Study Design. Concurrent validity study.

Objective. To examine the validity of the Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) and the QuickDASH in patients with neck pain in comparison with the Neck Disability Index (NDI), the Cervical Spine Outcome Questionnaire (CSOQ), and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain. To examine the agreement between the DASH and the QuickDASH and assess whether the QuickDASH can be used instead of full DASH in patients with neck pain.

Summary of Background Data. NDI is commonly used for measuring neck-related disability in patients with neck pain; but it does not offer to assess …