CLINICAL ISSUES :: DRUG TESTING AND MONITORING
Photo © Keng Po Leung |
Dreamstime.com
Drug of abuse testing and therapeutic drug monitoring
By Rajasri Chandra I
n pharmacology, a drug is a chemical substance that pro- duces a biological effect when administered to a living organism. Drugs are classified in various ways. One widely
used classification system is the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System (ATC system).1
In this system,
drugs are classified based on the active ingredients for the organ or system on which they act and their therapeutic, pharmacological, and chemical properties. Pharmaceutical drugs, also called medicine or therapeutic drugs, are chemi- cal substances used to treat, cure, prevent, or diagnose a disease or to promote well-being. Depending on the level of control, these drugs are classified as prescription drugs or over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. US Pharmacopeia (USP) currently categorizes a drug or drug component under one of 49 different therapeutic classes such as analgesics, including opioids and non-opioids; anesthetics; central nervous system agents, including amphetamines; and so forth.2
There are
some drugs that mimic or alter the neurotransmitters in the central nervous system and thereby when consumed, alter perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, or behavior of the person.3
People who consume such drugs for pleasure
suffer from substance abuse. When a person is unable to stop consuming a drug(s) and the drug(s) takes control of the person, the situation is called drug addiction.
16 DECEMBER 2022
MLO-ONLINE.COM
Problem of substance abuse Substance abuse is a serious concern globally, including the United States. According to results from the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) conducted annu- ally by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 40.3 million people aged 12 or older had a substance use disorder (SUD) in the past year, including 28.3 million with alcohol use disorder, 18.4 mil- lion with an illicit drug use disorder, and 6.5 million with both alcohol use disorder and an illicit drug use disorder (see Figure 1).4 Deaths due to drug overdoses have been on the rise for years
in the United States, but the COVID-19 pandemic worsened the situation further. Based on a provisional report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were more than 100,000 deaths from drug overdose in 2021. The CDC data shows annual deaths were nearly 50% higher in 2021 than in 2019 (see Figure 2).5 People in all phases of life can be addicted to a drug of
abuse, which can have various consequences: • Teens who use drugs may do poorly in school or drop out.6 Using drugs at an early age, when the brain is still developing may cause lasting brain changes and put the user at increased risk of dependence in adult life.7
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
