Pharmacology and Substance Knowledge Flashcards

Which FDA-approved medication for alcohol use disorder works by causing an unpleasant reaction when alcohol is consumed?

Answer: Disulfiram (Antabuse)

Disulfiram inhibits aldehyde dehydrogenase, causing a toxic accumulation of acetaldehyde when alcohol is consumed, producing nausea, flushing, and discomfort.

Methadone maintenance treatment for opioid use disorder is dispensed through:

Answer: SAMHSA-certified Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs)

Federal law requires that methadone for opioid use disorder be dispensed only through federally certified opioid treatment programs (OTPs), not standard pharmacies.

Which class of substances produces withdrawal symptoms that can be life-threatening without medical management?

Answer: Alcohol and benzodiazepines

Alcohol and benzodiazepine withdrawal both involve CNS hyperexcitability that can progress to seizures and death without medical supervision.

Buprenorphine (Suboxone) is a partial opioid agonist. What is the clinical significance of the 'ceiling effect'?

Answer: At higher doses, the euphoric and respiratory depression effects plateau, reducing overdose risk

The ceiling effect means that buprenorphine's opioid effects (including dangerous respiratory depression) do not increase proportionally with higher doses, making it safer than full agonists.

Which neurotransmitter is MOST centrally involved in the reward pathway dysregulation that underlies addiction?

Answer: Dopamine

Dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens (the brain's reward center) is the primary neurochemical mechanism through which addictive substances produce euphoria and reinforce use.

Which medication is used to reverse opioid overdose and should be available in addiction treatment settings?

Answer: Naloxone (Narcan)

Naloxone is a pure opioid antagonist that rapidly reverses opioid overdose and is available as a nasal spray (Narcan) for emergency use.