Z-drugs, otherwise known as benzodiazepine receptor agonists, are used to help patients with insomnia that is associated with difficulty falling asleep (sleep latency), difficulty staying asleep (sleep maintenance), or not feeling rested after a night’s sleep (sleep...
Benzodiazepines are prescribed to over 5% of the United States population and that number continues to grow. This class of medications is responsible for facilitating the binding of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA-A at various GABA receptors throughout the...
Bipolar disorder medications contain a treasure trove of clinical pearls that a clinical pharmacist must know. Many of the frequently used medications have numerous clinical quirks that may encourage you to use the medication or discourage you from use. Let’s...
If you are anything like me, it is difficult to keep up with everything. ADHD is one of those areas that I don’t help with very frequently from a clinical standpoint. I love useful resources when I find them. Dosage forms are a particular weakness in my ADHD...
In comparing (Effexor) venlafaxine versus desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), you can’t help but start with pharmacokinetics. As you gander at the names of the drugs, it’s hard not to notice that they are nearly identical minus a few letters. Let’s break this...
Long-Acting Injectable (LAI) Antipsychotics Antipsychotic agents are often discontinued without provider consultation, leading to poorer outcomes and quality of life. Luckily, newer formulations are continually being developed to help address barriers to care and...
