Accepted for publication December 12, 2000. Andrew M. Peterson, PharmD, BCPS, is assistant professor of clinical pharmacy, Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. Responses to self-administered questionnaires. Although most respondents were knowledgeable about the issues addressed in this study, there were important exceptions. Not all pharmacists knew what constitutes legitimate dispensing practices for controlled substances under federal or state policy in emergencies or for patients with terminal illnesses, and many were unaware of the important distinctions among addiction, physical dependence, and tolerance.
Pharmacists play a pivotal role in ensuring patient access to medications.
Viewed in the context of federal and state controlled substances policies, our findings suggest that the incorrect knowledge and inappropriate attitudes of some pharmacists could contribute to a failure to dispense valid prescriptions for opioid analgesics to patients in pain. Accepted for publication October 2, 2000. Although scientific study of the brain is in its infancy, numerous studies indicate that estrogen is essential to optimal brain function. Estrogen has been shown to increase cerebral blood flow, act as an anti-inflammatory agent, enhance activity at neuronal synapses, and exert direct neuroprotective and neurotrophic effects on brain tissue. Through these varied mechanisms, estrogen strongly influences mood and cognition, and the decline of this hormone at menopause can produce significant emotional and cognitive problems in women.