Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, Centre d'Evaluation et d'Information sur la Pharmacodépendance de Toulouse, EA 3696, Université Paul Sabatier, Faculté de Médecine, 31000 Toulouse, France. roussin@cict.fr
Propofol (2,6-diisopropylphenol) is an intravenous short-acting anaesthetic widely used for inducing and maintaining anaesthesia. Propofol is also being increasingly used for sedation. Beside medical use, propofol is abused for recreational purpose, mostly in medical professionals who are not informed of the risk of dependence to this compound. The aim of this review was to provide an overview of molecular, animal and clinical pharmacological data of the literature evidencing the potential for abuse and dependence of propofol.