semmelweis university 2 0 1 2 / 2 0 1 3

234
SEMMELWEIS UNIVERSITY / FACULTY OF MEDICINE
MEDICINAL, EPIDEMIOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL ASPECTS
OF DRUG ABUSE
Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy
Course director: Prof. Dr. Susanna Fürst
Second semester
Code: AOFRMKAB_1A
Credit: 2
Topics:
Introduction, general concepts. Non-medical use of drugs. Drugs of abuse. Classification of
scheduled drugs under WHO control. Vulnerability. Tolerance, physical and psychological
dependence. Molecular basis of drug addiction.
Opioids. Pharmacological action of opioid agonists and antagonists. Opioid receptors, endogenous
ligands. Characteristics of opioid dependence.
Psychomotor stimulants. Pharmacological action of amphetamine, its derivatives
(methamphetamine, MDMA-“Ecstasy”, etc.) and cocaine. Role of the dopaminergic transmission
in the drug abuse.
Hallucinogens. Ethanol. Pharmacological action of hallucinogens, (LSD, mescaline,
phencyclidine, etc.). Role of the serotonergic transmission in hallucination. Characteristics of
ethanol dependence.
Marihuana (hasis, THC) Pharmacological action of cannabinoids. Cannabinoid receptors and their
endogenous ligands.
Sedative-hypnotics. Pharmacological action of benzodiazepines, barbiturates, other
sedative-hypnotics. Characteristics of prescription drug dependence. Polydrug-abuse.
Epidemiological data. Significance of epidemiological data collection. Forms of questionnaires.
Tendency of drug abuse, national (Hungarian) and international data. High risk groups.
Pharmacological treatment. Traditional medicinal treatment and new methods. Medical
treatment of withdrawal symptoms, replacement therapy. Treatment of overdose. Prevention of
relapse.
Psychotherapy. Individual and group therapy. The problems of long-term rehabilitation.
Counselling.
Drug abuse and society. Legal issues. Statutory rules and regulations. Human rights.
Role of public and civil rystalline. Role, task and potential of governmental and
non-governmental rystalline in the prevention of drug abuse.
Detection of drug consumption. Laboratory analysis of blood and urinary samples. The role of
objective laboratory control in prevention and reduction of drug abuse.
Prevention and harm-reduction. Primary, secondary and tertiary prevention. Demand-reduction
and harm-reduction. Early recognition. Rehabilitation, social reintegration.
Psychosocial questions of drug abuse. Psychosocial aspects. Self-destructive attitudes.
Psychological and social background. Role, task and possibilities of the medical doctor.
Absence: Maximum number of absences is 25 percent of the lectures in the semester
Absence justification: Medical certificate is accepted
There is no midterm