The Pitfalls of Psychotropic Polypharmacy

Editor-in-Chief Anthony Rothschild discusses his editorial, "The Pitfalls of Psychotropic Polypharmacy." For psychiatric disorders, it is common for patients to be prescribed more than one medication. While there may be benefits, it is essential that clinicians also be mindful of potential problems, such as pharmacokinetic interactions (affecting drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination), pharmacodynamic interactions (for example, serotonin syndrome, QT-interval prolongation, and lowering of seizure threshold), drug-induced liver injury, and falls in older patients. There are times when "treatment-resistant symptoms" are actually adverse effects of the many medications being taken.