Pharmacology

Analysis and Comment (7)

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It’s going to be a night to remember … or maybe not. Sterneck

Party’s over: mephedrone causes memory impairment

By Craig Motbey

Mephedrone (4-methylmethcathinone) is a fairly new “party” drug that has exploded in popularity over the last few years. On the street, it has a variety of names: Drone, M-Cat, Bubbles, Meow. It’s also…
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It’s obvious: better referee performance is better for players and better for spectators. Right? AAP Image/Joe Castro

Sports referees should take performance-enhancing drugs

By Bob Stewart, Victoria University and Simon Outram, Victoria University

Late last week football (soccer) website football365.com reported that FIFA, the international governing body for the world game, is considering forcing referees to pass fitness tests prior to games…
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Despite some alarming findings, recreational mephedrone use appears to be on the rise. Robert Conrad Photography

Mephedrone: what doesn’t kill you might still mess you up

By Craig Motbey

Human use of cathinones for their psychoactive properties traces back to prehistory. Known as “khat” by the people of eastern Africa, the leaves and twigs of the Catha edulis shrub have been chewed for…
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It depends on the drug, how it’s been stored and whether the pack has been opened. saveas new

Explainer: do we need to follow medication use-by dates?

By Lisa Nissen

It’s late in the night. And after a long day at work, you have a splitting headache. You rattle around in the bottom drawer of the bathroom vanity to find a packet of paracetamol tablets you know are hiding…
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They may have the same active ingredient, but fillers, colours and lubricants may vary. Flickr/Harsh Vardhan

Explainer: how do generic medicines compare with brand leaders?

By Lisa Nissen

“Would you like the generic brand of that medicine?” It’s a question you’ve probably been asked, or at least heard, when picking up a prescription at your local pharmacy. It’s likely you were told the…
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Sure, you’re feline fine now, but what about the future? gadgetgirl

Meow hear this: mephedrone is a curious khat

By Iain S. McGregor and Craig Motbey

The “good old days” of psychopharmacology involved only a few major suspects: alcohol, cannabis, opiates, uppers (amphetamines), downers (barbiturates) and the occasional serendipitous curiosity such as…

Research Briefs (2)

Ritalin improves error awareness

The University of Melbourne

People who take Ritalin are far more aware of their mistakes, new research shows. Low performance error awareness has been…

Aspirin improves heart surgery outcomes

Thomas Jefferson University and University of California, Davis

Aspirin can improve outcomes for patients undergoing heart surgery, a new study from Thomas Jefferson University and UC Davis…

Participants (17)