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Introduction: To review the scientific evidence on the consequences of self-medication with benzodiazepines (BZD) in adults. Method: Exploratory review of the articles retrieved from the bibliographic databases MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus and Web of Science until October 2020. The search query was formulated using the descriptors “Self Medication” and “Benzodiazepines”, also using the related Entry Terms and filters: «Humans» and «Adult: 19+years». The quality of the articles was evaluated using the STROBE questionnaire. Results: From the 388 references retrieved, after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 14 articles were selected. Once the articles were evaluated by means of the STROBE questionnaire for this review the scores ranged from a minimum of 8.7 to a maximum of 17.7, with median equal to 14.3. Self-medication was studied in 8 articles; overuse was researched in 2 of them; 2 other articles’ aim was to examine self-medication or overuse with the purpose of treating emotions, stress or, directly, using them as drug. Other observed outcomes were overdosage, in addition to their previous and subsequent consumption to joining the methadone program. Conclusions: The revised articles have documented a high prevalence of self-medication and self-manipulation of BZD. It is essential to know the use pattern of each population branch in order to establish measures which guarantee both suitable prescription and rational use. By improving pharmaceutical care in the process of dispensing BZD (warning of the effects of chronic treatment and the exclusivity of prescriptions) and pharmaceutical validation (detection of unsuitable prescriptions) BZD self-medication and its derived consequences could be actively prevented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the general population, there is a great controversy surrounding the use of innovative drugs and their copies called generic drugs. The objective of this study is to quantify the acceptance of patients from the General System of Social Security in Health of Colombia (SGSSS) to the prescription of generic drugs. A descriptive study was carried out with a transversal design. The universe was 63 men and 57 women, all adult patients who attended external consultation of the practice sites of the Faculty of Medicine of Cali-Colombia. It is concluded that if generic drugs are used, it is necessary that doctors and users have confidence in it, the results of the present study show that, although not in the majority, still a significant percentage of the consumers interviewed doubt the quality and the therapeutic results of generics. Worryingly, nearly a quarter of study participants think that generic drugs are fraudulent products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the late 1990s, the number of opioid analgesic overdose deaths has quadrupled in the United States of America (from 4 030 deaths in 1999 to 16 651 in 2010). The objectives of this article are to provide an overview of the problem of prescription drug overdose in the United States and to discuss actions that could help reduce the problem, with particular attention to the characteristics of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs). These programs consist of state-level databases that monitor controlled substances. The information compiled in the databases is at the disposal of authorized persons (e.g., physicians, pharmacists, and other health-care providers) and may be used only for professional purposes. Suppliers can use such information to prevent interaction with other drugs or therapeutic duplication, or to identify drug-search behavior. Law enforcement agencies can use these programs to identify improper drug prescription or dispensing patterns, or drug diversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe the distribution, mechanisms, treatment and clinical evolution of patients with peripheral vascular trauma attended at a general hospital. Methods: Retrospective study among patients admitted to HNCH between 2010 and 2012.The information was gathered from clinical charts. Results: A total of 46 patients were included; 55 vascular lesions were observed, of which 43 involved arteries and 12 involved veins. The most frequent mechanism of injury was gunshot (43.5%), the most frequent reason was aggression (57%). Of all arterial lesions, 27 were on upper limbs and 16 in the lower limbs. The most frequent type of lesion was complete section (61%), and the most frequent treatment was saphenous vein graft in the sectioned arteries in 40%. A total of 12 vein lesions were observed, half of them in each upper and lower limbs; complete section was the most common lesion (59%), and ligation was the repair method more used. Out of 30 patients who suffered arterial lesions and were treated promptly, 14 had no functional limitation, 13 had some degree of limitation and 3 were amputated. Conclusions: including selection of antimicrobials, dosing and dosing regimens, but most of the prescriptions are not based on microbiologic documentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]