Psychopharmacology in medical practice

2020 ◽  
pp. 6465-6470
Author(s):  
Philip J. Cowen
Keyword(s):  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Medical Practice ◽  
Psychotropic Drugs ◽  
Serotonin Reuptake ◽  
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors ◽  
Antipsychotic Drugs ◽  
Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors ◽  
Selective Serotonin ◽  
Medical Conditions ◽  
Antianxiety Drugs

Drugs intended to treat psychiatric disorders are referred to as psychotropic drugs. The main categories are antidepressants, mood stabilizing drugs, antipsychotic drugs, and antianxiety drugs. These drugs are widely used in medical practice and most clinicians are likely to have under their care several patients receiving treatment with them. Practitioners therefore need to have an understanding of both the uses and unwanted effects of psychotropic drugs, and particularly of (1) their interactions with drugs used to treat other medical conditions, (2) characteristic abstinence syndromes that can occur with sudden discontinuation of antidepressants (particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and venlafaxine) and anxiolytics.

The Impact of Trends in Psychotropic Prescribing on the Method of Suicide in the Elderly

2005 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajit Shah ◽  
Lubbaba Lodhi
Keyword(s):  
Psychotropic Drugs ◽  
Serotonin Reuptake ◽  
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors ◽  
Prescribing Patterns ◽  
Selective Serotonin ◽  
Hypnotics And Sedatives ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Elderly Suicide

Suicide rates in the elderly have declined in many countries in recent years. This decline has been reported to be associated with increased prescribing of antidepressants, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), antipsychotics and antimanic drugs and reduced prescribing of barbiturates, hypnotics and sedatives. This study examined the relationship between prescribing patterns of individual psychotropic drugs and suicide rates by specific methods of elderly suicides. There was a negative correlation between the prescription of tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, antipsychotics, antimanic drugs and non-opiate analgesics and a decline in elderly suicide rates due to poisoning by solid and liquid substances, hanging, strangulation and suffocation, drowning, firearms and explosives, and jumping from high places. There was a positive correlation between the prescription of barbiturates, hypnotics and sedatives and elderly suicide rates due to poisoning by solid and liquid substances, hanging, strangulation and suffocation, drowning, firearms and explosives, and jumping from high places. This study demonstrated that changes in prescribing patterns of individual psychotropic drugs do influence elderly suicide rates of the commonly used methods of suicide and suggest that this may be due to more accurate diagnostic-specific prescribing of psychotropic drugs.

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