Chapter 12 Psychopharmacology

Toxicity

Drug concentration harmful to body

Therapeutic index

Ratio of maximum nontoxic dose to minimum effective dose

Efficacy

ability of drug to produce response

Potency

drug dose needed for effect

Desensitization

rapid decrease in drug effects

Tolerance

gradual decrease in drug action

Phases of Drug Treatment

1. Initiation phase

   • assesses, observes, and monitors the patient’s response to the medication

2. Stabilization phase

   • adjustments to the med. dosage to achieve the maximum amount of improvement with a minimum of side effects

3. Maintenance phase

   • medications are usually continued to prevent relapse

4. Discontinuation phase

   • medications are stopped or weaned off to prevent relapse

Major Psychopharmacologic Drug Classes

1. Antipsychotics

   • Schizophrenia

2. Mood stabilizers

   • Bipolar Disorder

3. Antidepressants

   • Depression

4. Antianxiety/sedative-hypnotics

   • Anxiety

5. Stimulants

   • ADHD

Herbal Supplements Risks

1. St. John’s Wort

   • Risk of serotonin syndrome

2. Kava

   • Risk of severe liver injury, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, and hearing impairment

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

• treats severe depression; mania and schizophrenia when other treatments have failed

• Procedure repeated two or three times per week (total, 6–12 treatments)

Light therapy (phototherapy)

• Used for seasonal depression

• Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

• Alternative to ECT in managing symptoms of depression