The contamination of paper products by various chemicals has been reported on a global level, but to date, no published research has investigated pharmaceutical contamination of paper-based products. In this study, pharmaceutical analysis was conducted on 42 samples collected from various points of the recycled paper value chain in Cape Town, South Africa, which included the various grades that may be included in the manufacturing of recycled paperboard. The analysis was achieved by ultrasonic-assisted extraction of paper samples before detection by UHPLC-Q Orbitrap. Quantification limits ranged from 1.15 pg/g for ketoprofen to 46.07 pg/g for methocarbamol. Pharmaceuticals identified in newspaper samples were dexamethasone, ketoprofen, and 17β-estradiol. The latter was also detected in paper shopping bags (up to 697.49 ng/g), infant bathtub packaging (280.62 ng/g), battery packaging (137.43 ng/g), and an egg carton (170.47 ng/g). Carbamazepine was also prominent with its concentration reaching 13.02 ng/g in a vegetable box. Suspect screening tentatively identified 14 additional pharmaceuticals in paper samples, with minocycline, prazepam, and anabolic steroids appearing more prominently. This pioneering study indicated that unintentional pharmaceutical exposure had expanded beyond environmental media to consumer products.

24 Jan 2023·Journal of Analytical ToxicologyQ3 · MEDICINE

Long-Term Stability of Benzodiazepines and Z-Hypnotic Drugs in Blood Samples Stored at Varying Temperatures

Q3 · MEDICINE

Article

Author: Banaszkiewicz, Laura ; Domagalska, Ewa ; Kaliszan, Michał ; Kot-Wasik, Agata ; Woźniak, Mateusz Kacper

AbstractBenzodiazepines (BZDs) and Z-drugs are among the most commonly prescribed pharmaceuticals in the world and are considered standard care for various mental illnesses and for the treatment of sleeping and anxiety disorders, alcohol withdrawal, muscle spasms and epilepsy. Some BZDs are not allowed as pharmaceuticals in many countries, and they are used as designer benzodiazepines (DBZDs). All these compounds are typically screened in routine toxicological analyses for forensic purposes. Knowledge of time-dependent decreases in drug concentrations during storage or transport of samples is of considerable significance and allows forensic toxicologists to achieve reliable data, proper interpretation and high-quality results. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in the amounts of selected BZDs, DBZDs and Z-drugs in blood samples stored at various temperatures. The study involved BZDs (19), DBZDs (3) and Z-drugs (2) spiked into blank blood. Subsequently, the blood samples were stored at various temperatures (room temperature, 4°C, −20°C and −80°C) for up to 6 months. Analyses were performed at 1- to 2-week intervals using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. The stability of compounds was evaluated under four temperature conditions over a 6-month period. Some BZDs were stable at all temperatures tested (e.g., diazepam, oxazepam, nordazepam and prazepam) with a degradation rate of only 0–10%. The highest instability was observed for analyte samples kept at room temperature, and the losses in content for some compounds, e.g., lorazepam and chlordiazepoxide, were almost 100%. For other compounds, the stability was clearly different at each tested temperature. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the first such comprehensive study of the long-term stability of BZDs covering a wide range of different storage temperatures.

01 Sep 2022·European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology

Hospitalisations related to benzodiazepine, Z-drug, and opioid treatment in Italy: a claim on the risks associated with inappropriate use

Article

Author: Bonaiuti, Roberto ; Crescioli, Giada ; Lombardi, Niccolò ; Vannacci, Alfredo ; Prisco, Domenico ; Mattioli, Irene ; Mannaioni, Guido ; Bettiol, Alessandra

AbstractPurposeBenzodiazepines (BZD), Z-drugs (ZD), and opioids share a high risk of abuse. This study assessed and characterised adverse events (AEs) related to BDZ, ZD, and opioids leading to emergency department (ED) visits in the Italian setting.MethodsED accesses related to BDZ, ZD, and/or opioids were analysed from the MEREAFaPS database. Information on AEs, suspected and concomitant medications was retrieved. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the reporting odds ratios (RORs) of hospitalisation according to the different treatments.ResultsA total of 5,970 pharmacovigilance reports involving BZD/ZD (n = 3,106), opioids (n = 2,767), or their combination (n = 97) were analysed. Compared to opioids, patients with BZD/ZD-related AEs were often younger (51 vs 64 years), more frequently presented 2+ suspected medications (13 vs 3%), and often had a history of abuse (4%). Twenty-three percent of BZD/ZD-related AEs were related to drug abuse (vs 2% of opioid-related ones) and frequently required patient hospitalisation (52% vs 24%), despite the significantly lower clinical complexity of these patients as compared to those on opioids. An increased risk of hospitalisation was found for flurazepam (ROR 1.62; 95% CI, 1.18–2.22), prazepam (2.66; 1.05–6.70), lorazepam (1.26; 1.07–1.49), and morphine (1.76; 1.11–2.79).ConclusionsThese results indicate that, in Italy, the inappropriate use of BZD/ZD is a relevant heath issue, often leading to serious AEs requiring patients’ ED visits and hospitalisation, especially in young women and patients with a history of substance abuse.

100 Deals associated with Prazepam

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KEGG	Wiki	ATC	Drug Bank
D00470	Prazepam	N05BA11	DB01588

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