PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY a. Side effects can directly affe
willingness to adhere to drug regim
● Psychopharmacology b. Nurse should always inquire abo
○ Study of drugs used to treat psychiatric disorders response to drug, both therapeu
● Psychotropic Agents adverse responses
○ Medications that affect psychic functions, behavior 2. DRUG INTERACTIONS
or experience a. Patients and families must be tau
○ Significant effect on higher mental functions effects of the addition of OTC
● Psychopharmacological Agents illegal drugs to currently prescrib
○ First line treatment for almost all psychiatric 3. DISCUSSION OF SAFETY ISSUES:
ailments nowadays a. Because some drugs (e.g. tricycli
● Psychotropic/Psychoactive Drugs have an arrow therapeutic index,
○ Any drug that has primary effects on BEHAVIOR, HARM must be discussed
EXPERIENCE, or other PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS b. Discuss on abruptly discontinued ef
○ Chemicals that affect the brain and nervous system, c. Many psychotropic drugs cause SEDAT
alter feelings & emotions, and affect consciousness discussion concerning use of hazar
in various ways driving must be reviewed
○ Broad-range of these drugs are used in emotional and 4. INSTRUCTIONS FOR OLDER ADULT PATIENTS
mental illnesses a. Because older individuals ha
pharmacokinetic profile than young
PATIENT EDUCATION R/T PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY instructions concerning side effe
● NURSE’S ROLE: interactions should be explained
○ Assess for drug side effects 5. Instructions for pregnant or breastfeedi
○ Evaluate desired effects a. As pregnant/breastfeeding patients
○ Make decisions about PRN medications associated with psychotropic drug
● BENEFITS: teaching patients can reduce occurrence of side instructions should be tailored for
effects while increasing compliance with drug regimen b. Teaching patients about their m
them to be mature participants in
SPECIFIC AREAS OF EDUCATION: decreases undesirable side effects
1. DISCUSSION OF SIDE EFFECTS
, CLASSIFICATION OF PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS ● Schizophrenia
● ANTIPSYCHOTIC AGENTS ● Schizoaffective disorders
○ Also known as neuroleptic, major tranquilizers, or ● Paranoid disorders
phenothiazines ■ Mood disorders
○ Group of drugs has a major clinical use in the ● Mania
treatment of PSYCHOSIS ● Major depression with psy
○ Psychosis: ■ Childhood disorders
■ A state in which a person’s ability to recognize ● ADHD
reality to communicate & relate to others is ● Autism
SEVERELY IMPAIRED ● Enuresis
○ MODE OF ACTION: ● Conduct disorder
■ Thought to block dopamine receptors ■ Neurotic and other psychiatric
■ Dopamine: chemical released in the brain and ● Anorexia nervosa
causes psychotic thinking ● Intractable OCD
■ Increased production of dopamine transmits nerve ● Severem intractable & dis
impulses to brainstem FASTER than normal. The ■ Medical disorders
result is STRANGE THOUGHTS, HALLUCINATION, AND ● Huntington’s chorea
BIZARRE BEHAVIOR ● Intractable hiccough
■ Antipsychotics help in BLOCKING OR REDUCING ● Nausea and vomiting
ACTIVITY OF DOPAMINE ● Tic disorder
■ Antiemetic is another property of antipsychotic ● Eclampsia
agents. They are also used in hiccups ● Heart stroke severe pa
○ INDICATIONS: tetanus
■ Organic psychiatric disorders ○ PHARMACOKINETICS
● Delirium ■ Antipsychotics when adminis
● Dementia absorbed variably from the GI
● Delirium tremens blood levels
● Drug-induced psychosis & other organic ■ Highly bound to plasma as
mental disorders proteins. Brain concentratio
■ Functional disorders plasma concentration
willingness to adhere to drug regim
● Psychopharmacology b. Nurse should always inquire abo
○ Study of drugs used to treat psychiatric disorders response to drug, both therapeu
● Psychotropic Agents adverse responses
○ Medications that affect psychic functions, behavior 2. DRUG INTERACTIONS
or experience a. Patients and families must be tau
○ Significant effect on higher mental functions effects of the addition of OTC
● Psychopharmacological Agents illegal drugs to currently prescrib
○ First line treatment for almost all psychiatric 3. DISCUSSION OF SAFETY ISSUES:
ailments nowadays a. Because some drugs (e.g. tricycli
● Psychotropic/Psychoactive Drugs have an arrow therapeutic index,
○ Any drug that has primary effects on BEHAVIOR, HARM must be discussed
EXPERIENCE, or other PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS b. Discuss on abruptly discontinued ef
○ Chemicals that affect the brain and nervous system, c. Many psychotropic drugs cause SEDAT
alter feelings & emotions, and affect consciousness discussion concerning use of hazar
in various ways driving must be reviewed
○ Broad-range of these drugs are used in emotional and 4. INSTRUCTIONS FOR OLDER ADULT PATIENTS
mental illnesses a. Because older individuals ha
pharmacokinetic profile than young
PATIENT EDUCATION R/T PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY instructions concerning side effe
● NURSE’S ROLE: interactions should be explained
○ Assess for drug side effects 5. Instructions for pregnant or breastfeedi
○ Evaluate desired effects a. As pregnant/breastfeeding patients
○ Make decisions about PRN medications associated with psychotropic drug
● BENEFITS: teaching patients can reduce occurrence of side instructions should be tailored for
effects while increasing compliance with drug regimen b. Teaching patients about their m
them to be mature participants in
SPECIFIC AREAS OF EDUCATION: decreases undesirable side effects
1. DISCUSSION OF SIDE EFFECTS
, CLASSIFICATION OF PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS ● Schizophrenia
● ANTIPSYCHOTIC AGENTS ● Schizoaffective disorders
○ Also known as neuroleptic, major tranquilizers, or ● Paranoid disorders
phenothiazines ■ Mood disorders
○ Group of drugs has a major clinical use in the ● Mania
treatment of PSYCHOSIS ● Major depression with psy
○ Psychosis: ■ Childhood disorders
■ A state in which a person’s ability to recognize ● ADHD
reality to communicate & relate to others is ● Autism
SEVERELY IMPAIRED ● Enuresis
○ MODE OF ACTION: ● Conduct disorder
■ Thought to block dopamine receptors ■ Neurotic and other psychiatric
■ Dopamine: chemical released in the brain and ● Anorexia nervosa
causes psychotic thinking ● Intractable OCD
■ Increased production of dopamine transmits nerve ● Severem intractable & dis
impulses to brainstem FASTER than normal. The ■ Medical disorders
result is STRANGE THOUGHTS, HALLUCINATION, AND ● Huntington’s chorea
BIZARRE BEHAVIOR ● Intractable hiccough
■ Antipsychotics help in BLOCKING OR REDUCING ● Nausea and vomiting
ACTIVITY OF DOPAMINE ● Tic disorder
■ Antiemetic is another property of antipsychotic ● Eclampsia
agents. They are also used in hiccups ● Heart stroke severe pa
○ INDICATIONS: tetanus
■ Organic psychiatric disorders ○ PHARMACOKINETICS
● Delirium ■ Antipsychotics when adminis
● Dementia absorbed variably from the GI
● Delirium tremens blood levels
● Drug-induced psychosis & other organic ■ Highly bound to plasma as
mental disorders proteins. Brain concentratio
■ Functional disorders plasma concentration
