Fast Facts for Psychopharmacology for Nurse Practitioners

Book excerpt: This timely resource is the first handbook to give nurse practitioners guidance to prescribe, monitor, assess, educate, and advocate for patients taking psychiatric medications and promote safe practice outcomes. Written in a concise, bulleted style for quick access to critical information, this practical resource covers the key aspects of psychotropic medications used in general psychiatry, offers strategies to simplify medication decision-making, and provides evidence-based best practice recommendations to select and manage psychotropic medications. This resource begins with an overview of general pharmacological principles, a brief discussion of neurotransmitters, and covers rationale for medication use and the risks and benefits of the major classes of psychotropic medications. This is followed by information about common drugs across drug classes divided by age population. Each drug includes initial dosing and adjustments, simplified diagnostic criteria, practice management, rationale for use, black box warnings, drug interactions, identification of side effects and adverse reactions, basic lab test recommendations, treatment options, and self-management strategies. The book ends with important concepts for patient and/or caregiver education and advocacy. Tables and "Fast Facts" boxes throughout highlight key information. Chapters begin with learning objectives and include references, website resources, and recommendations for additional reading. Key Features: Follows a lifespan approach to psychiatric mental health pharmacology Provides population-specific treatment approaches for optimal medical decision-making Highlights critical information with "Fast Facts" boxes Delivers essential knowledge included in board certification exams Contains critical-thinking questions in each chapter to reinforce content