The Hidden Danger In Your Medicine Cabinet!

Dr Ferghal speaks with Dr Matthew Frei, an addiction medicine specialist who specialises in the care and management of clinicians who find themselves struggling with addictions.Clinicians face significant stigma when dealing with their own illnesses, and even more so in the situation of mental illness and substance use disorder. An additional barrier to accessing treatment is the regulatory environment within which clinicians must access care. This includes the potential for mandatory reporting to AHPRA. For these reasons clinicians tend to present late for help. The good news is however that clinicians are more likely to make a recovery from addiction, in that they are, as Dr Frei states, “overrepresented in success stories”.Discussions and comments in our videos are for informational purposes only and should not replace the advice of your medical professional. Please consult with your doctor before making any changes to your medical treatment or lifestyle.Latest Blogshttps://www.meducate.com.au/blogAbout Meducate ®Meducate provides online education for doctors, clinicians, health professionals and the public.See the website to browse the many different talks and courses available https://www.meducate.com.au

21 Dec 202223min

In this episode of Cracking Addiction I speak with Associate Professor Suzanne Nielsen about the opioid epidemic and what we can do about it.In the USA there seems to be more a problem with heroin whereas in Australia we are struggling with prescription opioid dependence. Even though a doctor may be prescribing your pain killers, it is still possible to become addicted to pain killers. The traditional treatments we have for opioid dependence in general include methadone and buprenorphine based opioid replacement therapy. A recent addition to the family includes the Long -Acting Injectable Buprenorphine therapies, commonly referred to as “the Injection”. Patients who struggle with prescription opioid use disorder (which has been referred to as “pain killer addiction”) also benefit from opioid replacement therapy. Suzanne’s research over the last ten years has proven that the same therapies that work for heroin dependency, also work for prescription opioid dependency.Discussions and comments in our videos are for informational purposes only and should not replace the advice of your medical professional. Please consult with your doctor before making any changes to your medical treatment or lifestyle.Latest Blogshttps://www.meducate.com.au/blogAbout Meducate ®Meducate provides online education for doctors, clinicians, health professionals and the public.See the website to browse the many different talks and courses available https://www.meducate.com.au

14 Dec 202219min

In episode 69 of Cracking Addiction we discuss the difference and similarities between general practice and Addiction Medicine. We discuss Addiction Medicine consultation liaison services in hospital, inpatient and community management options with regards to Addiction Medicine. Lastly we discuss the role general practitioners play in managing patients with substance use disorders within the community and the breadth of community presentations and continuity of care that they provide their patients.Discussions and comments in our videos are for informational purposes only and should not replace the advice of your medical professional. Please consult with your doctor before making any changes to your medical treatment or lifestyle.Latest Blogshttps://www.meducate.com.au/blogAbout Meducate ®Meducate provides online education for doctors, clinicians, health professionals and the public.See the website to browse the many different talks and courses available https://www.meducate.com.au

7 Dec 202225min

In this episode of Cracking Addiction we discuss the class of drugs known as gabapentinoids, a group of GABA analogues. In this episode we discuss the clinical uses of gabapentinoids and also the increasing rates of prescription of gabapentinoids in recent years and the resultant harms associated with gabapentinoids including the risks of dependence/addiction as well as increased rates of overdose and polypharmacy harms.Discussions and comments in our videos are for informational purposes only and should not replace the advice of your medical professional. Please consult with your doctor before making any changes to your medical treatment or lifestyle.Latest Blogshttps://www.meducate.com.au/blogAbout Meducate ®Meducate provides online education for doctors, clinicians, health professionals and the public.See the website to browse the many different talks and courses available https://www.meducate.com.au

30 Nov 202220min

In episode 67 of Cracking Addiction we discuss the management of acute intoxication of MDMA and discuss the principles of both MDMA and stimulant withdrawal including supportive management options as well as the importance of psychosocial interventions in particular contingency management and CBT based interventions.Discussions and comments in our videos are for informational purposes only and should not replace the advice of your medical professional. Please consult with your doctor before making any changes to your medical treatment or lifestyle.Latest Blogshttps://www.meducate.com.au/blogAbout Meducate ®Meducate provides online education for doctors, clinicians, health professionals and the public.See the website to browse the many different talks and courses available https://www.meducate.com.au

23 Nov 202217min

In episode 66 of Cracking Addiction we discuss MDMA or ecstacy and discuss its analogues PMA and PMMA and discuss the pharmacokinetics of these drugs, the unique properties of MDMA as both an atypical amphetamine-type substance and its effects as an empathogen. We also discuss the usage as both a recreational drug but also the new and emerging evidence of the clinical effects and benefits of MDMA and its increased usage in medical practice. MDMA has many effects on the body and we discuss the effects of MDMA on the brain, heart and liver in particular as well as some of the side effects of MDMA.Discussions and comments in our videos are for informational purposes only and should not replace the advice of your medical professional. Please consult with your doctor before making any changes to your medical treatment or lifestyle.Latest Blogshttps://www.meducate.com.au/blogAbout Meducate ®Meducate provides online education for doctors, clinicians, health professionals and the public.See the website to browse the many different talks and courses available https://www.meducate.com.au

16 Nov 202226min

In this episode of Cracking Addiction we discuss the timeframe of GHB withdrawal, the severe and significant symptoms of GHB withdrawal and the potential life threatening sequelae of GHB withdrawal. We explore the approach to GHB withdrawal management including medications that can assist to manage these symptoms and the need to speak specialist help promptly given the potential for significant deterioration.Discussions and comments in our videos are for informational purposes only and should not replace the advice of your medical professional. Please consult with your doctor before making any changes to your medical treatment or lifestyle.Latest Blogshttps://www.meducate.com.au/blogAbout Meducate ®Meducate provides online education for doctors, clinicians, health professionals and the public.See the website to browse the many different talks and courses available https://www.meducate.com.au

9 Nov 202219min

In this episode of Cracking Addiction we discuss GHB and its analogs GBL and 1,4-butanediol and the differences between these drugs. We explore the clinical indications for GHB as well as the pharmacology and pharmacokinetics of this drug. We discuss the side effects of GHB and some of the symptoms of GHB withdrawal.Discussions and comments in our videos are for informational purposes only and should not replace the advice of your medical professional. Please consult with your doctor before making any changes to your medical treatment or lifestyle.Latest Blogshttps://www.meducate.com.au/blogAbout Meducate ®Meducate provides online education for doctors, clinicians, health professionals and the public.See the website to browse the many different talks and courses available https://www.meducate.com.au

2 Nov 202215min