Information material pertaining to controlled substances and addictive perscription drugs

Abstract

The assignment is designed as information material pertaining to controlled substances; addiction and a doctor’s roll in situations involving substance abuse. The target group is medical students and doctors.

In part 1 of the assignment we discuss different controlled substances, along with alcohol and potentially addictive medications. We include history, up-to-date statistics, types and routes of administration, pharmacology, short-term and long-term effects for each substance. Part 1 closes with a table describing symptoms of acute substance abuse.

In part 2 we present an updated description of addition, while part 3 discusses a number of situations where one, as a doctor, must confront controlled substance abuse. There is focus on the doctor’s role in prevention, role as a prescription drawer and the important support role in substitution programs.

Since alcohol is the most commonly abused psychoactive substance, the doctor's roll in alcohol abuse is discussed in sub-section in part 3.

By reviewing The Journal of the Norwegian Medical Association (Tidskrift for den Norske Lægeforening), books and brochure material we have created a picture of what information is available and, more importantly, which information should have greater focus, especially concerning the Norwegian situation. As sources we have used a number of topic-summaries composed by well-known organisations such as; NIDA, Rusmiddeldirektoratet og Statens Rettstoksikologiske institutt. In discussions of various substances, if there was references to more specific information, we used a number of original sources.