title: Novel psychoactive substances as a novel challenge for health professionals: results from an Italian survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Novel psychoactive substances (NPS; a.k.a. 'legal highs' or 'smart drugs') are advertised online as 'safe' and 'legal' natural/synthetic analogues of controlled illicit drugs. However, only little research has been carried out in identifying the health professionals' knowledge and expertise relating to the intake of these compounds.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data presented here refer to the Italian component of the European Union-wide, European Commission-funded, ReDNet project survey. An ad-hoc questionnaire was administered to professionals from the departments of Addiction, Psychiatry, Paediatrics and Emergency Room Services in Italy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The interviewees' sample included 243 professionals, mostly from the departments of Addiction (35%) and Psychiatry (28.4%). Overall, interviewees self-reported a poor technical knowledge relating to NPS; some 27% of respondents confirmed of not being aware if their patients presented with a previous history of NPS misuse.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Novel psychoactive substances prevalence of misuse was not considered to be an unusual phenomenon in Italy, and most health professionals appeared to have concerns relating to associated medical and psychopathological risks, especially in terms of aggression/psychomotor agitation. Overall, most respondents reported the need to have better access to NPS-related reliable sources of information.
authors.affiliation: School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK.
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Simonato
authors.forename: Ornella
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Corazza
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Santonastaso
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Corkery
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Deluca
authors.forename: Zoe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Davey
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Blaszko
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schifano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs
keywords: ReDNet; addiction; drug misuse; novel psychoactive substances