ABSTRACT
Depression, anxiety and existential distress associated with terminal illness have a major impact on quality of life among palliative care patients. Psychedelics are emerging as catalysts for reflective, introspective and sometimes spiritual exploration as part of psychotherapy, with potentially rapid and long-lasting multiple beneficial effects. Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) combines preparation, substance intake, and integration of experiences to facilitate profound psychospiritual change. Despite methodological and administrative hurdles, interest in this innovative approach continues to grow because of its potential to offer remission where conventional approaches have shown little benefits.
La dépression, l'anxiété et la détresse existentielle liées aux maladies terminales ont un impact majeur sur la qualité de vie despatients. Les psychédéliques apparaissent comme des catalyseurs pour l'exploration réflexive, introspective et parfois spirituelle dans le cadre d'une psychothérapie, avec des effets bénéfiques multiples potentiellement rapides et durables. La thérapie assistée par psychédéliques (TAP) combine la préparation, la prise de substances et l'intégration des expériences pour faciliter l'avènement de changements psychospirituels profonds. Malgré les obstacles méthodologiques et administratifs, l'intérêt pour cette approche novatrice continue de croître en raison de son potentiel à offrir des rémissions là où les approches conventionnelles s'avèrent peu efficaces.
Subject(s)
Hallucinogens , Palliative Medicine , Humans , Quality of Life , Psychotherapy , AnxietyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to analyse the proportion of evidence-based medication displayed in pharmacies and compare it between the different linguistic regions of the country, at different times of the year to determine the amount of proven effective medications indirectly recommended to the public in different parts of Switzerland. DESIGN: This is an observational study conducted by medical doctors in the department of internal medicine at the Spitalzentrum Biel, Switzerland. SETTING: The observation took place from July 2019 to May 2020. From a total of 1800 pharmacies in Switzerland, 68 different pharmacies were selected across the 3 main linguistic regions and the medication on display in their windows were examined 4 times a year regarding their efficacy. The displays of medication with or without evidence-based efficacy were described using absolute numbers and proportions and compared between the different linguistic regions at different seasons using χ2. PARTICIPANTS: There were no human or animal participants involved in this study. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome is the proportion of medication displayed in pharmacy windows with a proven effectiveness in medical literature. The secondary outcome was the variability of the primary outcome over time (seasonal changes), over the different linguistic regions of Switzerland and between chains and privately owned pharmacies. RESULTS: We examined 970 medications and found that over the whole year, there is a high proportion of non-evidence-based drugs (56,9%) displayed in pharmacies. Swiss German cantons display significantly more non-evidence-based medications in winter. We found no statistical difference for other seasons or between chains and privately owned pharmacies. CONCLUSION: Pharmacies in Switzerland tend to display significantly more non-evidence-based drugs, thus indirectly recommending them to the public. In a time of necessary expansion of self-medication by the population, this could incite consumers to buy drugs without proven effectiveness.
Subject(s)
Pharmacies , Pharmacy , Humans , Advertising , Evidence-Based Medicine , SwitzerlandABSTRACT
Many arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) underwent a dramatic geographic expansion over the last few years, following the spread of their vectors. It is the case for dengue, currently endemic in most tropical regions, for chikungunya and Zika viruses, which propagated rapidly over a considerable territory. West Nile is one of the most broadly distributed arboviruses in the world. The clinical presentation of these viral infections is non-specific (fever, arthralgia, headache, rash). For travelers presenting with fever within 15 days after returning from an endemic area, laboratory tests can distinguish them. The management is essentially supportive but a specific diagnosis might be important in anticipating possible complications and in decreasing the number of laboratory tests often offered in the case of fever of unknown origin.
