Neither study systematically monitored substance misuse.
PMAT was successfully used to monitor substance use and symptom expression in schizophrenia patients [ 84, 85].
Another possible advantage of this system would be that countries participating in such a system could monitor substance use-related harms occurring outside their borders.
As defined in our medication agreement with participants, we prospectively monitored substance misuse through clinical history, review of medications, communication with pharmacies and providers, and urine toxicological screening (UTS).
On the other side of the Atlantic, a group of researchers at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Switzerland, is working on BlueCell, a half inch-long device that, once embedded under the skin monitors substances in the blood such as glucose and cholesterol so that chronic diseases like diabetes or the effects of treatments such as chemotherapy can be monitored.
The Lisbon-based monitoring centre says the new substances are appearing at an "unprecedented pace", with the 41 new ones the largest number reported in any single year.
Recently, bio-chemical or -optical sensors monitoring various substance or chemical constituent that is of interest such as nitro compound, peptide, nucleic acid, polymer, toxin, neurochemicals have been developed [1 15].
By the end of 2007 all of the first 100 doctors enrolled on the Ontario Physician Health Program for monitoring of substance dependence had completed contracts.
Participants were the first 100 doctors enrolled in the Ontario Physician Health Program for monitoring of substance dependence after the formation of the programme in 1995.
The strength of our study is that the participants were 100 doctors consecutively admitted for monitoring of substance dependence in a physician health programme, without selection.
