7.0 Pharmaceutical Public Health + substance misuse

Pharmaceutical public health

the application of pharmaceutical knowledge, skills and resoruces to the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting protecting and improving health for all through organised efforts of society

pharmaceutical public health therefore can have many aspects to it

• mental health

• sexual health

• substance misuse

• cardiovascular disease

• vaccination

there are multiple aspect to substance and the managment of it is overseen by a large multidisciplanary team due to its complecity this team includes

specialist doctors

communit pharmacists 

specialist nurses

mental health support workers

addiction

a primary chronic neuribiologicdisease with genetic, psychosocial and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations

addiction is characterised by behaviours that include 1+ of the following

impaired control over drug use

compulsive use

continued uses despite harm

craving

physical dependence

a state of adaptation that is manifested by a drug class specific withdrawal syndrome 

physical dependec can br produced by

abrupt cessation

rapid dose reduction

decreasing blood level of drug

administration of antagonist

tolerance

a state of adaptation in which exposure to a drug induces changes that result in diminution of one or more of the drugs effects over time

methadone

opioid substitute for patients previously dependent on heroin

needle exchange

the opportunity for patients to swap used needles for new ones to reduce the transmission of blood borne diseases in patients who inject illicit substances