UCSD Doctoral Pharmacy Students' Manuscripts Addressing Metabolism of Five Most Prescribed Pain Medications Published in Journal of Analytical Toxicology

SAN DIEGO, May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Millennium Research Institute (MRI), a nonprofit national research center formed in 2010, and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) announced today five scientific articles co-authored by UCSD doctoral pharmacy students have been accepted by the Journal of Analytical Toxicology (JAT). The articles, which address metabolism of medications including hydrocodone, hydromorphone, methadone, oxymorphone and carisprodol, will appear simultaneously in the May issue of JAT.

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"This research on inter- and intra-subject variability in metabolism of these five most commonly prescribed pain medications adds important new knowledge to the field of pain management that may assist healthcare providers by providing information to avoid drug-drug interactions resulting in enhanced patient safety," said Amadeo J. Pesce, PhD, DABCC, principal investigator at MRI, and UCSD Skaggs School of Pharmacy partnership director and student mentor.

"We are pleased that the collaboration with MRI on the scientific posters presented at PAINWeek® 2010 has evolved into publications for the scientific community on drug metabolism," said Rabia Atayee, PharmD, BCPS, assistant professor of clinical pharmacy at the UCSD Skaggs School of Pharmacy. "Our affiliation with MRI continues to be vital as the students generate research utilizing the de-identified database of the state-of-the-art facility at Millennium Laboratories."

The five articles include the following:

• Relationship between the Concentration of Hydrocodone and its Conversion to Hydromorphone in Chronic Pain Patients Using Urinary Excretion Data (First author: Neveen H. Barakat; Corr. Author Amadeo J. Pesce)
• Observations on the Metabolism of Morphine to Hydromorphone in Pain Patients (First author: Michelle M. Hughes; Corr. Author Amadeo J. Pesce)
• Evaluating the Relationship of Methadone Concentrations and EDDP Formation in Chronic Pain Patients (First author: Edijs Leimanis; Corr. Author Amadeo J. Pesce)
• Observations on the Urine Metabolic Ratio of Oxycodone to Oxymorphone in Pain Patients (First author: David A. Yee; Corr. Author Amadeo J. Pesce)
• Evaluating the Relationship Between Carisprodol Concentrations and Meprobamate Formation and Inter-Subject and Intra-Subject Variability in Urinary Excretion of Pain Patients (First author: Stephanie A. Tse; Corr. Author Amadeo J. Pesce)

The data appearing in the articles was originally presented by the UCSD doctoral pharmacy students September 2010 at PAINWeek®, the national conference on pain for frontline practitioners.

JAT is a peer-reviewed international publication devoted to the timely dissemination of scientific communications concerning the isolation, identification, and quantification of drugs and other potentially toxic substances.

MRI provides the UCSD Doctor of Pharmacy faculty and student researchers with the resources necessary for original research, including these retrospective studies in the areas of metabolic monitoring of pain medications, drug testing and toxicology. The joint program serves the missions of both MRI and UCSD to advance research to help minimize the adverse events often associated with the use of pain medications, enhance patient safety and enable better treatment for pain.

About the Millennium Research Institute (MRI)

As part of the company's commitment to pain management research and education, Millennium Laboratories in 2010 established the Millennium Research Institute. The Millennium Research Institute is a national research center that conducts and disseminates original research as well as collaborates with other researchers focused on improving the experiences of people suffering from pain and pain-related disorders. The Institute maintains several national academic partnerships and supports collaborative research by accessing company Millennium Laboratories' unique de-identified database representing the U.S. pain population.

With world-class scientific researchers, laboratory experts and toxicologists led by Principal Investigator Amadeo J. Pesce, Ph.D., the Millennium Research Institute is focused on promoting excellence in the treatment of pain and minimizing the suffering and social consequences of prescription drug abuse, addiction, and diversion. In addition, Millennium Laboratories' psychologists, psychiatrists, pharmacists and allied health professionals further the Institute's goals through medical education programs and advocacy of national standards and guidelines to assure safe prescribing practices. For more information, visit the website www.millenniumresearchinstitute.org.

About the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

The Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California, San Diego was founded in 2000 and admitted its first class in 2002. The mission of the School is to provide the highest quality pharmaceutical education, pharmaceutical sciences research, and public service programs in Southern California, and to advance the pharmaceutical science and the clinical care and therapeutic counseling provided by the faculty, the PharmD and PhD students, and the post-doctoral fellows and residents.  For more information, visits the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences website www.pharmacy.ucsd.edu.

SOURCE Millennium Research Institute