Pharmacology / 20.09.2024

drug safety Pharmacovigilance is the strict monitoring process in the drug industry to ensure that drugs are safe to administer. It simply ensures that public health is kept away from harmful drugs by keeping a tab on any safety concerns with the drug once it is on the market. This blog explains the fundamental characteristics of pharmacovigilance, its significance, and what process is applied. (more…)
Drug Testing, Legal-Malpractice / 14.08.2024

Mandatory drug testing is a contentious issue that intersects with public health, legal rights, and societal norms. Whether implemented in workplaces, schools, or other institutions, mandatory drug testing policies raise important questions about privacy, discrimination, and health outcomes. This article explores the legal and health implications of these practices, providing a comprehensive overview of the benefits, drawbacks, and ethical considerations. Legal Implications of Mandatory Drug Testing The legal landscape surrounding mandatory drug testing is complex and varies widely by jurisdiction. In many countries, including the United States, employers have the right to require drug testing as a condition of employment. This practice is often justified by the need to ensure a safe and productive workplace, particularly in industries where safety is paramount, such as transportation, construction, and healthcare. However, mandatory drug testing also raises significant legal concerns, particularly related to privacy rights and potential discrimination. The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, for example, protects citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures. Critics of mandatory drug testing argue that it constitutes an unreasonable search, particularly when applied indiscriminately to all employees or students without suspicion of drug use.

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Author Interviews, Cannabis / 24.05.2023

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:   Tara M Lovestead, PhD, (She/her/hers) Group Leader | Fluid Characterization Group Applied Chemicals and Materials Division National Institute of Standards and Technology Gaithersburg, MD   MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: In 2012, when cannabis was decriminalized for adult recreational and medical use in Colorado, I started thinking about how a cannabis breathalyzer could work. I knew that an alcohol breathalyzer model would be pursued for a field sobriety test, but also knew that THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis, was a completely different animal, chemically speaking, than ethanol, the intoxicant in alcohol. I began by measuring the vapor pressure of THC and determined that it is a million times less volatile than ethanol. This is why the main strategy for measuring THC in breath is based on collecting breath aerosols with filters (ethanol is measured as a vapor in breath and does not need to be “collected”). My colleague, Dr. Kavita Jeerage and I began working together to design a study using a simple device that samples breath aerosols that hadn’t been used before. We designed this as a small study to piggyback on a larger study with our collaborator Prof. Cinnamon Bidwell at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Bidwell’s experience studying the effects of legal market cannabis product use on psychology and behavior was leveraged to launch the pilot study. (more…)