Michael W. Jann

The misuse and abuse of prescription medications in the United States continues to increase despite interventions by health care professionals, regulatory, and law enforcement agencies. Opioid analgesics are the leading class of prescription drugs that have caused unintentional overdose deaths. Benzodiazepines when taken alone are relatively safe agents in overdose. However, a 5-fold increase in deaths attributed to benzodiazepines occurred from 1999 to 2009. Emergency department visits related to opioid analgesics increased by 111% followed by benzodiazepines 89%. During 2003 to 2009, the 2 prescriptions drugs with the highest increase in death rates were oxycodone 264.6% and alprazolam 233.8%. Therefore, benzodiazepines have a significant impact on prescription drug unintentional overdoses second only to the opioid analgesics. The combination prescribing of benzodiazepines and opioid analgesics commonly takes place. The pharmacokinetic drug interactions between benzodiazepines and opioid analgesics are complex. The pharmacodynamic actions of these agents differ as their combined effects produce significant respiratory depression. Physician and pharmacy shopping by patients occurs, and prescription drug-monitoring programs can provide important information on benzodiazepine and opioid analgesic prescribing patterns and patient usage. Health care professionals need to inform patients and work closely with regulatory agencies and legislatures to stem the increasing fatalities from prescription drug unintentional overdoses.

To assess the effects of venlafaxine extended-release (XR) capsules and desvenlafaxine extended-release (XR) tablets upon indinavir pharmacokinetic properties when co-administrated to healthy volunteers.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with significant patient disability and costs to the healthcare system. It is questioned whether early treatment may improve outcomes and delay disability. Early treatment relies on early diagnosis, which can be difficult to achieve because the diagnosis of PD is based on motor symptoms, is clinical in nature, and is complicated by potential presentation of nonmotor symptoms prior to motor symptoms. Economic analyses demonstrate that treatments other than levodopa may be cost-effective. The lack of correlation between Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS) outcomes and imaging studies of dopamine uptake may reflect the inappropriate selection of study end points, since activities of daily living scores may be more applicable than motor function scores. Levodopa, the standard therapy for motor control of PD and one of the most effective options, is associated with complications (a wearing-off effect) when used long term. Other therapies, including dopamine agonists and monoamine oxidase type-B (MAO-B) inhibitors, may limit the rate of dyskinesia relative to levodopa-based regimens. It appears that early treatment with the MAO-B inhibitor rasagiline (1 mg), as compared with late treatment, delays the onset of worsened UPDRS score, especially the nonmotor activities of daily living subscore.

Depression and painful somatic symptoms commonly occur together. Depression and chronic pain can have devastating effects on a patient's health, productivity, and overall quality of life. When moderate‐to‐severe pain exists, it can impair patient function while making treatment more difficult or resistant, with increased severity in depressive symptoms and worse outcomes. A variety of chronic pain syndromes exist, including diabetic neuropathy. A high prevalence of patients with chronic pain display depressive symptoms. Treatment for these conditions relies on pharmacologic therapy coupled with diligent, periodic assessments of changes in symptom severity. The link between pain and depression lies in the central and peripheral nervous systems. The brain stem serves as an important connection between the higher brain centers and the spinal cord. In the brain stem, the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine modulate pain transmission through ascending and descending neural pathways. Both serotonin and norepinephrine are also key neurotransmitters involved with the pathophysiology of depression. Tricyclic antidepressants are effective treatments for pain and depression; selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors provide less benefit. Duloxetine and venlafaxine, which are serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, were shown in clinical trials to alleviate pain and depressive symptoms. Diabetic neuropathy and other chronic pain syndromes were also shown to benefit from duloxetine and venlafaxine. Antidepressants remain fundamental therapeutic agents for depression and anxiety disorders. Their extended use into chronic pain, depression with physical pain, physical pain with or without depression, and other potential medical conditions should be recognized.

Cognitive impairment in schizophrenia occurs in the early phases of the disease and remains throughout its course. The basis for cognition lies in two main brain regions: the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Positron emission tomography, functional magnetic resonance imaging, and proton magnetic spectroscopy studies have shown that prefrontal cortex and hippocampus activity and cell density are lower in patients with schizophrenia than in healthy controls. Dopamine remains the fundamental neurotransmitter involved with schizophrenia. Catechol‐O‐methyltransferase accounts for about 60% of dopamine metabolism in the prefrontal cortex. Functional polymorphism for the catechol‐O‐methyltransferase genotypes has been identified in patients with schizophrenia. Those with the valine‐valine genotype demonstrate rapid inactivation of dopamine, and performance in cognitive testing in patients is poorer with this allele than with other genotypes. N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate and α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionate acid receptors are also strongly associated with cognitive impairment. Changes occur in apolipoproteins D and E, cholinesterase enzyme activity, neurotensin, and neural growth factors, leading to a possible neurodegenerative process and cognitive impairment in patients with schizophrenia. A fundamental link between psychosis and neurocognition probably arises from complex interactions between these systems at the intracellular secondary messenger system and with protein phosphorylation. Atypical antipsychotics evaluated in receptor models, cell cultures, and animal behavior paradigms indicate that these agents may provide neuroprotective effects. Clinical studies with atypical antipsychotics have consistently demonstrated improvement in cognitive symptoms, and such improvement appears to be correlated with improvement of negative symptoms. A neurodevelopmental model of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia aids in understanding why atypical antipsychotics improve cognitive symptoms.

To evaluate the pharmacokinetics of fluvoxamine (FLV) in poor metabolizers (PMs) versus extensive metabolizers (EMs) of cytochrome P450 (CYP)2C19. This was a prospective, open-label study conducted at the Clinical Research Unit School of Pharmacy. Fifty-seven healthy, nonsmoking volunteers aged 21-40 years participated. Subjects abstained from caffeinated products 12 hours prior to and during each testing period. To assess CYP2C19 activity, blood samples were collected from each subject prior to and two hours after a single dose of omeprazole 20 mg. Once PMs were identified, a sample population of EMs were selected for comparison between the two groups regarding FLV disposition. A single 100 mg FLV dose was given to EMs and PMs; blood samples for FLV analysis were obtained prior to drug administration and 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4 6, 8, 12 and 24 hours later. A blood sample one day prior to FLV administration was also obtained for CYP2C 19 and CYP2D6. Four PMs were identified with the omeprazole phenotype probe and had a mean +/- SD hydroxylation index of 1.335 +/- 0.271. Nine EMs were selected based upon a hydroxylation index between 0.100 and 0.400 (mean 0.193 +/- 0.079). FLV pharmacokinetic parameters (AUC, elimination half-life, Cmax and Tmax) did not significantly differ between the two groups. Genotype analysis for CYP2C19 revealed a mutant allele for the *2 which confirmed phenotype detection of PM status. Genotype analysis for CYP2D6*3 and *4 alleles showed that all PMs of CYP2C19 were EMs of FLV disposition and dosing is unlikely to be affected by CYP2C19 polymorphism.

Cholinesterase inhibitors are the ‘first-line’ agents in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. This article presents the latest information on their pharmacokinetic properties and pharmacodynamic activity. Tacrine was the first cholinesterase inhibitor approved by regulatory agencies, followed by donepezil, rivastigmine and recently galantamine. With the exception of low doses of tacrine, the cholinesterase inhibitors exhibit a linear relationship between dose and area under the plasma concentration-time curve. Cholinesterase inhibitors are rapidly absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract, with time to peak concentration usually less than 2 hours; donepezil has the longest absorption time of 3 to 5 hours. Donepezil and tacrine are highly protein bound, whereas protein binding of rivastigmine and galantamine is less than 40%. Tacrine is metabolised by hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A2, and donepezil and galantamine are metabolised by CYP3A4 and CYP2D6. Rivastigmine is metabolised by sulfate conjugation. Two cholinesterase enzymes are present in the body, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). Tacrine and rivastigmine inhibit both enzymes, whereas donepezil and galantamine specifically inhibit AChE. Galantamine also modulates nicotine receptors, thereby enhancing acetylcholinergic activity at the synapse. These different pharmacological profiles provide distinctions between these agents. Cholinesterase inhibitors show a nonlinear relationship between dose and cholinesterase inhibition, where a plateau effect occurs. Cholinesterase inhibitors display a different profile as each agent achieves its plateau at different doses. In clinical trials, cholinesterase inhibitors demonstrate a dose-dependent effect on cognition and functional activities. Improvement in behavioural symptoms also occurs, but without a dose-response relationship. Gastrointestinal adverse events are dose-related. Clinical improvement occurs with between 40 and 70% inhibition of cholinesterase. A conceptual model for cholinesterase inhibitors has been proposed, linking enzyme inhibition, clinical efficacy and adverse effects. Currently, measurement of enzyme inhibition is used as the biomarker for cholinesterase inhibitors. New approaches to determining the efficacy of cholinesterase inhibitors in the brain could involve the use of various imaging techniques. The knowledge base for the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of cholinesterase inhibitors continues to expand. The increased information available to clinicians can optimise the use of these agents in the management of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

Many psychiatric patients smoke, and are believed to be heavier smokers than those without psychiatric disorders. Cigarette smoking is one of the environmental factors that contributes to...

The absolute bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of three formulations of ondansetron hydrochloride 24 mg--an oral tablet, an intravenous solution, and an extemporaneous rectal suppository--were studied. Twelve healthy, nonsmoking volunteers (six men and six women) were given ondansetron in a study with a three-way cross-over design. All subjects received each dosage form on the same day in the following order: oral tablet, rectal suppository, and intravenous infusion. Administrations were separated by one week. Blood sampling times varied, depending on the administration route. Mean absolute bioavailability for the oral tablet and the rectal suppository differed significantly. Absorption of ondansetron was prolonged when it was administered as the rectal suppository. Absolute bioavailability for the 24-mg tablet was similar to that for other tablet strengths in previous studies. All subjects completed the study without significant adverse effects. Absorption of ondansetron from the rectal suppository was prolonged compared with the oral tablet and the i.v. infusion. Bioavailability for the 24-mg suppository formulation was considerably lower than for the 24-mg tablet.

The pharmacology and clinical efficacy of cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are discussed. ChEIs can be classified pharmacologically on the basis of the duration of cholinesterase inhibition. The duration of inhibition is short for tacrine and donepezil, intermediate for rivastigmine, and long for metrifonate. Pharmacokinetic differences also distinguish ChEIs. The two instruments that are most accepted for use in evaluating the efficacy of drugs for AD are the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Portion (ADAS-Cog) and the Clinician’s Interview-Based Impression of Change with Caregiver Input (CIBIC-Plus). In clinical trials, all ChEIs have produced improvements in the cognitive deficits seen in patients with AD, and some have also improved behavioral problems and increased patients’ ability to perform activities of daily living. Only donepezil and metrifonate are administered once daily. Except for metrifonate, the dosage of each drug should be adjusted upward over several weeks to minimize adverse effects. Hepatotoxicity, the most important adverse effect of tacrine, has not been observed with other ChEIs. Tacrine and donepezil have the potential to interact with other drugs that depend on the same metabolic pathways. Although ChEIs generally improve cognition in patients with AD, differences among these medications are substantial in some cases and should be thoroughly considered by clinicians.