Fast Facts for Psychopharmacology for Nurse Practitioners

This book serves as a clinical guide to assist clinicians in prescribing psychotropic medications to address mental health conditions. It is used to assist clinicians to understand the key aspects of psychopharmacology. This is the first practical guide for novice and experienced nurse practitioners for explaining and choosing appropriate psychiatric medications. This clinical reference is ideal for students and all clinically oriented healthcare professionals since it provides concise, bulleted-style text for easy access to pertinent information. The book offers readers a broad understanding of the key aspects of psychotropic medications used in general psychiatry and primary-care settings and includes strategies to ease medication decision-making and evidence-based best practices to select and manage psychotropic medications. It is organized into two parts. Part I begins with an overview of general pharmacological principles and a brief overview of neurotransmitters, and covers the rationale for medication use and the risks and benefits of the major classes of psychotropic medications. Part II includes medications across drug classes that are divided by age population and includes practice management strategies, safety considerations, drug interactions, identification of side effects and adverse reactions, basic laboratory test recommendations, treatment options, and self-management strategies. The book ends with important concepts for patient and/or caregiver education and advocacy. It is intended for clinical healthcare providers, including physicians, nurses, APRNs, and other healthcare clinicians who need a practice guide, test review, or clinical resource guide that is easy to access and use.