What You Should Know About Psychotropic Medications
Psychotropic medications play a crucial role in reducing the signs and symptoms, and in preventing relapses of a psychiatric condition, including anxiety disorders, mood disorders and psychotic disorders. Though these are prescribed by the primary care provider, know that effective medication choices are available for the management of most of these disorders and patients can benefit the most from these interventions, if they are an informed participant in the treatment process.
Understand Medication Adherence
To benefit from the psychotropic medications, taking it as prescribed – prescribed dose taken at the prescribed time – is crucial. Patients may fail to adhere to this medical instruction for various reasons. Whether the failure to adhere to the prescription is deliberate or unintended, the result is the same: the optimized medical benefits are not achieved or medication-related side effects are exhibited. This is why it is strategic to educate the psychiatric patients about the value of “medication adherence or compliance” or their caregivers, in case they are too sick to be responsible or if the patient is a child.
Medication-related Side Effects
Once patients start taking medications, the changes in their signs and symptoms are eagerly awaited by the patient, their family and their primary care provider, noting if it is working well or there are side effects. If the patient or the caregiver reports adverse or untoward signs and symptoms, the prescriber is expected to do their best to manage the problem. This may mean changing the medication, the timing or the prescribed dose. These underline the importance of or the need for patients under medication to be monitored. If the side effects are attributed to poor adherence or compliance, that area is addressed.
Please remember that it is also necessary to ensure that your psychiatrist or nurse practitioner are aware of any medical issues you have to ensure that the newly prescribed psychotropic medication does not cause any complications with that condition.
Possible Interactions with Other Medications
Another reason for the manifestation of side effects may be attributed to drug interactions if the patient is taking other medications for another disorder. It is a cardinal rule for prescribers to find out what these medications are and to avoid prescribing a psychotropic medication that may possibly interact with these. It is also a common practice of good psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners to resort to co-management of these cases with other professionals to improve the success of the treatment.
Psychotropic Medication and Support
Since adherence to the prescription is an important element in achieving the desired effect of the medication, support is important as well as the guidance of a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner. Thus, part of the responsibility of the latter is to ensure that the patient will have a positive and supportive environment.
If you are looking forward to feeling better, it matters where or who will provide you with psychiatric treatment and care. Living Well Psychiatry in Fayetteville, NC on Raeford Road is a caring clinic that can expertly help you get better. Call us for your first appointment.
