Description
Should gabapentin be a controlled substance? Well, relative to any other substance affecting the general GABA receptors and channels, a healthcare professional should not be surprised at the recent reclassification of gabapentin (or other gabapentinoids) to being a controlled substance in areas of the country. After all, benzodiazepines (benzos), ethyl alcohol, and some seizure medications (in other words a decent group of sedatives) function in the very same general mechanism, so why in the world wouldn’t these substances be controlled substances? Then again, just because a substance is a controlled substance, doesn’t necessarily mean that they should be avoided outright within patient care either. (For substances such as “roofies” or the “date-rape drug,” perhaps the balance between appropriate utilization and major safety concerns is a little more one-sided.) This discussion is also part of the overall Substances of Abuse Specialty Pharmacist (SASP) certificate training program. So please join us for a thorough review of all sedatives provoking their action within the general GABA-related mechanisms of action. Unlike these sedatives, this discussion is sure to peak one’s arousal and alertness to key patient care points.