A randomised survey of the quality of antibiotics and other essential medicines in Indonesia, with volume-adjusted estimates of the prevalence of substandard medicines.

The World Health Organization warns that substandard and falsified medicines threaten public health in low- and middle-income countries. However, medicine quality surveys are often small and unrepresentative of the market, and the true scale of the problem remains unknown. We conducted a large field survey of essential medicines in Indonesia, and investigated how weighting survey results by market volume altered estimates of medicine quality.

Value for money of medicine sampling and quality testing: evidence from Indonesia.

Background: Substandard and falsified medicines (SFMs) are a public health concern of global importance. Postmarket surveillance in the form of medicine sampling and quality testing can prevent and detect SFM, however, there is remarkably scarce evidence about the cost and value for money of these activities: how much do they cost and how effective are they in detecting SFM?

Methods: Between February and October 2022, Systematic Tracking of At Risk Medicines (STARmeds) collected and analysed for quality 1274 samples of 5 medicines from physical and online retail outlets in 7 Indonesian districts. We collated data on the resources consumed by STARmeds, related to all stages of medicines sampling and quality testing including design, fieldwork and laboratory analysis.

Dexmedetomidine HCL (BXCL501) as a potential treatment for alcohol use disorder and comorbid PTSD: A phase 1b, placebo-controlled crossover laboratory study.

Background And Objectives: Noradrenergic dysregulation is important in the pathophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD); pharmacotherapies targeting adrenergic function have potential as treatment for comorbidity. Dexmedetomidine (sublingual film formulation-BXCL501; IGALMI) is a highly potent, selective ⍺2-adrenergic receptor agonist and may be superior to other pharmacotherapeutic approaches. A within subjects, phase 1b safety laboratory study was conducted to evaluate adverse effects of BXCL501 when combined with alcohol; BXCL501's potential efficacy was also explored.

Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) versus individual drug counseling (IDC) for PTSD for veterans with opioid use disorder maintained on buprenorphine.

Background And Objectives: There are high rates of comorbidity between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and opioid use disorder (OUD). Evidence-based trauma-focused psychotherapies such as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) are a first-line treatment for PTSD. Veterans with OUD are treated primarily in substance use disorder (SUD) clinics where the standard of care is drug counseling; they often do not have access to first-line PTSD treatments.

Progesterone Attenuates the Stress Response in Individuals with Alcohol Dependence and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - A Pilot Study.

Objective: Evidence from laboratory studies suggests that progesterone may be effective in reducing stress and craving, and may improve cognitive performance in smokers and individuals with cocaine dependence. The objective of this study was to examine if progesterone would attenuate stress-induced craving, anxiety, affect and physiological measures, as well as improve stress-induced cognitive performance (processing speed and selective attention) in individuals diagnosed with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Methods: This laboratory study included ( = 13) participants who were diagnosed with current AUD and PTSD who were randomly assigned to recive either progesterone (200mg bid) or placebo in identical looking capsules for 3 days.