Drug interactions between antiretroviral medications and medications used in the treatment of drug addiction: research needs.
Today substance dependence is one of the major public health problems in the world with millions of people abusing legal and illegal drugs. In addition, almost one-third of the world's population suffers with one or more infections. Both drugs of abuse and infections are associated with serious medical and health consequences, some of which may be exacerbated by the occurrence of pharmacokinetic and/or pharmacodynamic interactions between medications used in the treatment of these conditions when they co-occur. This review briefly discusses issues surrounding clinical management related to drug interactions experienced by substance abusing patients. The emphasis of this paper is on the research needed to further study the extent, nature, and underlying molecular/genetic mechanism(s) of interactions between drugs of abuse, medications used in the treatment of drug addiction, and co-occurring infections.
Khalsa
Jag H
JH
Division of Pharmacotherapies and Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. jk98p@nih.gov
Elkashef
Ahmed
A
D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004347:Drug Interactions / Q000235:genetics*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D009294:Narcotics / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012106:Research; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*
D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D009294:Narcotics