Value of pre-licensure interprofessional education on post-licensure interprofessional collaboration: Perceptions and experiences of practicing professionals.

Interprofessional education (IPE) allows students in health professional programs to practice providing collaborative patient care before graduating. Understanding the perceptions and experiences of health care professionals' IPE received prior to entering the workforce is key for improving IPE programs. This study investigated participants' post-licensure interprofessional collaboration (IPC) experiences, how IPE helped prepare them for IPC post-licensure, their perceptions of the IPE they received as students, and their suggestions for improving IPE. This qualitative descriptive study included 20 healthcare workers from seven professions who graduated from two of three co-located post-secondary educational institutions. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, which were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Inductive thematic analysis revealed five themes and six sub-themes: (a) Quality of care; (b) Role clarification; (c) Interpersonal skills (sub-themes: communication and self-confidence); (d) Co-location; and (e) Need for IPE improvements (sub-themes: additional IPE exposures, shadowing experiences, mandatory IPE, and informal peer learning). These findings appear to reinforce the perception that pre-licensure IPE may support the development of skills for IPC among practicing health professionals.

Substituted methcathinones differ in transporter and receptor interactions.

The use of synthetic methcathinones, components of "bath salts," is a world-wide health concern. These compounds, structurally similar to methamphetamine (METH) and 3,4-methylendioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), cause tachycardia, hallucinations and psychosis. We hypothesized that these potentially neurotoxic and abused compounds display differences in their transporter and receptor interactions as compared to amphetamine counterparts. 3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone and naphyrone had high affinity for radioligand binding sites on recombinant human dopamine (hDAT), serotonin (hSERT) and norepinephrine (hNET) transporters, potently inhibited [³H]neurotransmitter uptake, and, like cocaine, did not induce transporter-mediated release. Butylone was a lower affinity uptake inhibitor. In contrast, 4-fluoromethcathinone, mephedrone and methylone had higher inhibitory potency at uptake compared to binding and generally induced release of preloaded [³H]neurotransmitter from hDAT, hSERT and hNET (highest potency at hNET), and thus are transporter substrates, similar to METH and MDMA. At hNET, 4-fluoromethcathinone was a more efficacious releaser than METH. These substituted methcathinones had low uptake inhibitory potency and low efficacy at inducing release via human vesicular monoamine transporters (hVMAT2). These compounds were low potency (1) h5-HT(1A) receptor partial agonists, (2) h5-HT(2A) receptor antagonists, (3) weak h5-HT(2C) receptor antagonists. This is the first report on aspects of substituted methcathinone efficacies at serotonin (5-HT) receptors and in superfusion release assays. Additionally, the drugs had no affinity for dopamine receptors, and high-nanomolar to mid-micromolar affinity for hSigma1 receptors. Thus, direct interactions with hVMAT2 and serotonin, dopamine, and hSigma1 receptors may not explain psychoactive effects. The primary mechanisms of action may be as inhibitors or substrates of DAT, SERT and NET.