Heavy substance use (SU) and substance use disorders (SUD) have complex etiologies and often severe consequences. Certain personality traits have been associated with an increased risk for SU(D), but far less is known about personality changes related to SU(D). This review aims to synthesize the existing literature on this research question. A systematic literature search was conducted from November 2022 to February 2023 in PubMed, EbscoHost, and Web of Science. Peer-reviewed original papers on SU(D)-related personality changes were included. Of 55 included studies, 38 were observational population-based studies and 17 were intervention studies. Overall, personality and SU measures, samples, study designs, and statistical approaches were highly heterogenous. In observational studies, higher SU was most consistently related to increases in impulsivity-related traits and (less so) neuroticism, while interventions in the context of SU(D) were mostly associated with increases in conscientiousness and self-efficacy and lasting decreases in neuroticism. Findings for traits related to extraversion, openness, conscientiousness, and agreeableness were mixed and depended on SU measure and age. Studies on bidirectional associations suggest that personality and SU(D) both influence each other over time. Due to their strong association with SU(D), impulsivity-related traits may be important target points for interventions. Future work may investigate the mechanisms underlying personality changes related to SU(D), distinguishing substance-specific effects from general SU(D)-related processes like withdrawal, craving, and loss of control. Furthermore, more research is needed to examine whether SU(D)-related personality changes vary by developmental stage and clinical features (e.g. initial use, onset, remission, and relapse).

A wide range of medications are being misused by people the world over and Sri Lanka is no exception. Reasons for this misuse are manyfold. Regulatory bodies, prescribers, dispensers, as well as the general public, have significant roles to play in mitigating the misuse of prescribed medications and their harmful consequences.

Introduction: Most studies evaluating prescription opioid dependence or misuse are retrospective and are based on prescription filling rates from pharmaceutical databases. These studies cannot evaluate if opioids are really consumed nor differentiate if used for a new pain, chronic pain, or for misuse/dependence. The aim of this study was to assess the opioid consumption in emergency department (ED) patients three months after discharge with an opioid prescription. Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted in the ED of a tertiary care centre with a convenience sample of patients aged 18 years and older, recruited 24/7, who consulted and were discharged for an acute pain condition ( 2 weeks). We excluded patients who: did not speak French or English, were using opioid medication prior to their ED visit, with an ED stay > 48 hours, or suffering from cancer or chronic pain. Three months post-ED visit, participants were contacted by phone for a structured interview on their past two-week opioid use, their reasons for consuming them, and also answered the Rapid Opioid Dependence Screen (RODS) questionnaire. Results: In the 524 participants interviewed at three months (mean age ± SD: 51±16 years, 47% women), 44 (8.4%) patients consumed opioids in the previous two weeks. Among those, 72% consumed opioids for their initial pain, 19% for a new unrelated pain, and 9% for another reason. In this entire cohort, only five patients (1%) tested positive to opioid dependence from the RODS test. The low dependence incidence could be affected by a social desirability bias. Conclusion: This study suggests that opioid use at 3-month, for patients initially treated for acute pain, is associated with opioid dependency in 1% or possible misuse in only 9%. Additional prospective studies using multiple methods to measure opioids consumption, misuse, and dependence are needed.

Les cliniques « Brown Bag » permettent aux pharmaciens participants de rencontrer les personnes âgées afin d'examiner les médicaments en leur possession et de corriger les situations qui pourraient mener à des réactions toxiques (DRAPEs — drug-related adverse patient events). Cent vingt-trois patients ont été en contact avec 30 pharmaciens lors des cliniques pilotes tenues dans sept communautés de la Colombie-Britannique. En moyenne, chaque patient a apporté plus de neuf médicaments (prescrits ou non-prescrits) et les cliniciens ont identifié 482 problèmes potentiels de médication (les médecins traitants de 39 patients ont été immédiatement contactés). Plus de 80 pour cent des patients ont considéré les cliniques « Brown Bag » comme étant utiles et ont manifesté le désir de participer à nouveau lors de futures cliniques. Les pharmaciens cliniciens, bien qu'en faveur des cliniques, sont cependant réticents à ré-offrir leur services de façon bénévole. Lors des cliniques de rappel conduites de six à 11 mois plus tard, les patients avaient oublié une bonne partie de l'information obtenue lors des premières sessions.

Two questionnaire-based surveys were carried out amongst the small vegetable planting community in order to evaluate the effectiveness with which pesticides are being used and the ensuing health and environmental hazards. Good practice was assessed by a certain number of indicators based on various parameters. Data on health hazards were obtained from cases of poisoning and from surveys on blood cholinesterase levels.

The results give pertinent indications on pesticide flow, usage and perception. Generally, aged planters tend to adopt good practice, especially if they have had at least primary education, in which case they would seek advice. Many planters however do not get advice from the right source with regards choice of pesticides and dosage, although a significant proportion of planters do not follow recommended dosages. About three-fourths of the planters frequently resort to cocktails of two or more pesticides. Safety intervals are simply not observed by a good majority of growers. Measuring and protective devices, washing of spraying equipment, disposal of empty containers, and the types of pesticides stores leave much to be desired. The practice of mixed cropping leads to the use of a wide range of pesticides for the control of a single pest on various crops. There has recently been a general shift in pesticide usage with the introduction of synthetic pyrethroids. The misuse and/or abuse of pesticides has serious repercussions on the health of those exposed to such toxic chemicals, and cases of poisoning too are increasing. Remedial measures are suggested.