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Medscape
2 days ago
- Health
- Medscape
Antipsychotic Adherence Linked With Lower Car Crash Risk
In drivers with schizophrenia, better adherence to antipsychotic medication is associated with a lower risk for motor vehicle crashes, according to new research. In a case-crossover study, perfect adherence to antipsychotic medication in drivers with schizophrenia was associated with a 50% reduction in the odds of a crash, relative to complete nonadherence. Physicians and fitness-to-drive policy makers might consider antipsychotic treatment adherence as a condition for maintaining an active driver's license in these patients, the authors suggest. The study was published June 9 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Driving Safety Data 'Whether a person is safe to drive is a question that comes up for psychiatrists and physicians like me who look after people when they are in the hospital with a worsening of their schizophrenia,' study author John A. Staples, MD, MPH, clinical associate professor of medicine at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, told Medscape Medical News . John A. Staples, MD, MPH 'This is particularly important for people who have schizophrenia, because we know schizophrenia impairs their judgment. Often, these individuals have had problems with driving in the past,' Staples said. The investigators examined population-based administrative health and driving data from British Columbia. They included patients with schizophrenia who were involved as drivers in police-attended motor vehicle crashes from 2001 to 2016. Eligible participants filled prescriptions for antipsychotic medication as outpatients in the 2 years before the crash. 'We have data on all their health issues specific to hospital visits with physicians and medication data, and we also have data on their driving, including crashes and traffic accidents. It's unique that we have both data sets,' Staples noted. The investigators assessed adherence by looking at how often in the 30 days before their crash these drivers filled prescriptions for their antipsychotic medication. They also examined how often patients filled the prescriptions in a 30-day period 1 year before the crash. The final sample consisted of 1130 crashes involving 1001 drivers. At the time of the crash, the median age of the drivers was 37 years. Two-thirds of participants were male, 58.1% resided in an urban area, and 84.5% had a driver's license. More than half (54.8%) also had one or more traffic violations in the past 3 years. About half (49.8%) of all crashes resulted in an injury, and 0.7% resulted in a fatality. Attending police reported that the driver's condition was a contributing factor in 43.5% of the crashes. 'We hope these findings encourage people with schizophrenia to take their antipsychotics,' Staples said. The results should also highlight the need for physicians faced with patients who may not be adherent to think about driving safety. 'We don't want there to be a crash where somebody gets hurt, but on the other hand, suspending or canceling somebody's license is a grave blow to independence and the ability to work. That's the difficult tradeoff physicians are often left struggling with. We want to make sure we are making decisions that are justified when we take away the freedom of being able to drive,' Staples said. Valuable Research Mark Rapoport, MD, professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, told Medscape Medical News that physicians treating patients with schizophrenia should stress the importance of adherence and driving safety. 'This is a very good study that shows the positive outcome of staying on medication. But there is variability among individuals, so it is hard to make a sweeping declaration that everyone must be adherent or they can't drive. To me as a clinician, it comes down to the judgment and insight of the patient. Do they have the wherewithal to realize that they should wait until they take their medication before they get behind the wheel? That they need to take another form of transportation? Some people don't have the ability to do that,' Rapoport said. 'A study like this can't answer those nuanced questions, but it is a good study that shows the very positive outcome of staying on medication,' he said. Simon B. Sherry, PhD 'Given the elevated crash risk among those with schizophrenia, this research is valuable in that it provides evidence of the efficacy of antipsychotics in improving a person's safety and well-being as it applies to driving,' Simon B. Sherry, PhD, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Dalhousie University in Halifax, told Medscape Medical News. 'The ability to drive can provide freedom and independence and improve quality of life. Unfortunately, many of the symptoms of schizophrenia, such as disorganized thinking; reduced motivation; trouble with attention, memory, and decision-making; and difficulty with daily activities, can make regularly taking medication more challenging,' Sherry said. 'As a psychologist, I do not prescribe medication, but I can vouch for the efficacy of nonpharmaceutical treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy for managing symptoms. It would be interesting to see future research comparing whether this therapy is also associated with lower crash risk and whether such treatment is equally effective in reducing crash risk as antipsychotic medications,' he said.
Globe and Mail
25-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Rare Canadian tobacco tin goes for $55,000 at Ontario auction
Going once, going twice, 3 Strikes you're out. An early-1900s tobacco tin sold at an auction Sunday in New Hamburg, Ont., for $55,000, five times its presale estimate. The lithographed flip-lid container of the 3 Strikes brand of plug tobacco was discovered during the renovation of a turn-of the-century Ontario house. The winning bidder was Vancouver tin-can collector Glen Paruk, a 75-year-old practising lawyer. 'Can't go shopping like this without keeping practising,' he told The Globe and Mail. Mr. Paruk's wife found out what her husband had spent soon after the hammer went down on the tobacco tin, one of only seven known to exist. 'I can tell you that she gave me a very thorough frown,' Mr. Paruk confirmed. The tin, which sports an old-timey baseball player on its cover, was sold by Miller and Miller Auctions Ltd. The consignors, John and Tina Staples of Kingsville, Ont., had discovered it while renovating their bathroom more than 15 years ago. Not knowing its value, they used the vintage container as a kitschy knick-knack in their home. When advance online bidding reached $29,000, Mr. Staples told The Globe he was 'flabbergasted.' After the tin sold for $55,000, the retired HVAC designer said he was 'still flabbergasted.' Mr. Staples said he planned to invest the money in a tax-free savings account. The tin was found inside the walls of the Staples's house. Carpenters were known to leave empty tins behind while building houses. Undisturbed for a century, the 3 Strikes tin was in remarkable shape. 'It is the Holy Grail of tobacco tins,' said Ben Lennox, head of sales at Miller and Miller. For the winning bidder, the antique piece marks an acquisition a long time in coming. Mr. Paruk, known in collecting circles and on eBay as TinCanada, had begun obtaining tin cans in 1978 as a law student in Victoria. He once owned one of the rare 3 Strikes tins but sold it some 30 years ago to help finance a house he was building. 'I've been missing it ever since,' he said, 'and not really expecting to ever replace it.' Mr. Paruk would not divulge how much he was paid for his first 3 Strikes tin. 'I can't say things like that, but it was way, way, way less than this one I just purchased.'
