Abstract
The administration of more than one drug for a single medical condition is considered to be polypharmacy. There are many possible reasons for polypharmacy: (1) psychosis is a chronic disease that cannot be cured; (2) expectations to improve patients quality of life beyond what drugs can actually do is high; (3) the lack of side effects and interactions can cause physicians to be more daring in terms of potential complications; (4) information from the Internet may cause patients and their families to demand medications; (5) the diluted mental health system allows legal guardians and other mental health professionals to force physicians to provide multiple drugs; (6) many new drugs are available; and (7) physicians are forced to shorten hospitalization days. The 1997 American Psychiatric Association Practice Research Network found that 17% of 146 patients with schizophrenia were treated concurrently with more than one antipsychotic medication. Polypharmacy may increase the risk of adverse effects, drug interactions, noncompliance, and medication errors. It is not wise to use polypharmacy only to prevent side effects and drug and interactions. Our attempts to reduce polypharmacy may fail, as academicians also propagate polypharmacy, and all of the algorithms indicate polypharmacy as an option, putting physicians in a legal and ethical bind. Techniques such as experimental ward, peer review, computer information feedback, and comparing different techniques may temporarily reduce polypharmacy but long-term outcome is not affected. Scientific data on the efficacy of polypharmacy is needed in order to sort out good and bad polypharmacy.
Keywords: prevalence of antipsychotic polypharmacy, increasing use of polypharmacy, current data on polypharmacy, efficacy of polypharmacy, side effects of polypharmacy
Current Pharmaceutical Design
Title: Antipsychotic Polypharmacy
Volume: 10 Issue: 18
Author(s): J. Ananth, S. Parameswaran and Gunatilake
Affiliation:
Keywords: prevalence of antipsychotic polypharmacy, increasing use of polypharmacy, current data on polypharmacy, efficacy of polypharmacy, side effects of polypharmacy
Abstract: The administration of more than one drug for a single medical condition is considered to be polypharmacy. There are many possible reasons for polypharmacy: (1) psychosis is a chronic disease that cannot be cured; (2) expectations to improve patients quality of life beyond what drugs can actually do is high; (3) the lack of side effects and interactions can cause physicians to be more daring in terms of potential complications; (4) information from the Internet may cause patients and their families to demand medications; (5) the diluted mental health system allows legal guardians and other mental health professionals to force physicians to provide multiple drugs; (6) many new drugs are available; and (7) physicians are forced to shorten hospitalization days. The 1997 American Psychiatric Association Practice Research Network found that 17% of 146 patients with schizophrenia were treated concurrently with more than one antipsychotic medication. Polypharmacy may increase the risk of adverse effects, drug interactions, noncompliance, and medication errors. It is not wise to use polypharmacy only to prevent side effects and drug and interactions. Our attempts to reduce polypharmacy may fail, as academicians also propagate polypharmacy, and all of the algorithms indicate polypharmacy as an option, putting physicians in a legal and ethical bind. Techniques such as experimental ward, peer review, computer information feedback, and comparing different techniques may temporarily reduce polypharmacy but long-term outcome is not affected. Scientific data on the efficacy of polypharmacy is needed in order to sort out good and bad polypharmacy.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Ananth J., Parameswaran S. and Gunatilake , Antipsychotic Polypharmacy, Current Pharmaceutical Design 2004; 10 (18) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1381612043384033
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1381612043384033 |
Print ISSN 1381-6128 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-4286 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
"Tuberculosis Prevention, Diagnosis and Drug Discovery"
The Nobel Prize-winning discoveries of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and streptomycin have enabled an appropriate diagnosis and an effective treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Since then, many newer diagnosis methods and drugs have been saving millions of lives. Despite advances in the past, TB is still a leading cause of infectious disease mortality ...read more
Current Pharmaceutical challenges in the treatment and diagnosis of neurological dysfunctions
Neurological dysfunctions (MND, ALS, MS, PD, AD, HD, ALS, Autism, OCD etc..) present significant challenges in both diagnosis and treatment, often necessitating innovative approaches and therapeutic interventions. This thematic issue aims to explore the current pharmaceutical landscape surrounding neurological disorders, shedding light on the challenges faced by researchers, clinicians, and ...read more
Emerging and re-emerging diseases
Faced with a possible endemic situation of COVID-19, the world has experienced two important phenomena, the emergence of new infectious diseases and/or the resurgence of previously eradicated infectious diseases. Furthermore, the geographic distribution of such diseases has also undergone changes. This context, in turn, may have a strong relationship with ...read more
Melanoma and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Treatment: Standard of Care and Recent Advances
In this thematic issue, we aim to provide a standard of care of the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. The editor will invite authors from different countries who will write review articles of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. The Diagnosis, Staging, Surgical Treatment, Non-Surgical Treatment all ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Troponin in Newborns and Pediatric Patients
Cardiovascular & Hematological Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Multidrug Transporters as Drug Targets
Current Drug Targets Editorial [Hot Topic: Pain - Unmet Need and Emerging Targets & Therapies (Guest Editor: Sivaram Pillarisetti)]
CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets Nanowired Drug Delivery of Antioxidant Compound H-290/51 Enhances Neuroprotection in Hyperthermia-Induced Neurotoxicity
CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets New Insight into the Therapeutic Role of 5-HT1A Receptors in Central Nervous System Disorders
Central Nervous System Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Microvascular Obstruction After Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis and Prognostic Significance
Current Vascular Pharmacology Myelodysplastic Syndromes: Review of Pathophysiology and Current Novel Treatment Approaches
Current Cancer Drug Targets Imidazole Scaffold Based Compounds in the Development of Therapeutic Drugs
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Therapeutic Potential of Targeting Protease Activated Receptors in Cardiovascular Diseases
Current Pharmaceutical Design Bleeding and Acute Coronary Syndromes: Defining, Predicting, and Managing Risk and Outcomes
Current Drug Targets Recent Achievements on Siderophore Production and Application
Recent Patents on Biotechnology Glucose Transporters Regulation on Ischemic Brain: Possible Role as Therapeutic Target
Central Nervous System Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Monoclonal Antibodies: A New Era in the Treatment of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma
Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology The Rapidly Changing Composition of the Global Street Drug Supply and its Effects on High-risk Groups for COVID-19
Current Psychopharmacology CD44 and its Role in Inflammation and Inflammatory Diseases
Inflammation & Allergy - Drug Targets (Discontinued) Orthostatic Hypotension: Evaluation and Treatment
Cardiovascular & Hematological Disorders-Drug Targets Alkaloids from Cyanobacteria with Diverse Powerful Bioactivities
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Stress Echocardiography
Current Pharmaceutical Design The Heart in Sepsis: From Basic Mechanisms to Clinical Management
Current Vascular Pharmacology Statins May Prevent Atherosclerotic Disease in OSA Patients without Co-Morbidities?
Current Vascular Pharmacology