BLOG
Hyponatremia – Should I Worry About a Sodium of 132 mEq/L?
A patient I was following had a sodium level of 132 mEq/L and a student asked me how much we should worry about this? It is a bit of a deep question, but in general, a slightly low sodium level of...
Amitriptyline Versus Nortriptyline – What’s The Difference?
If you follow geriatrics or are board-certified, you probably know that nortriptyline is generally preferred over amitriptyline in this patient population. It's kind of weird to think there is such...
My Top 5 SSRI Drug Interactions
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are among the most frequently prescribed medication classes in clinical practice. While they are generally considered safe and effective, clinicians...
Antidepressants in Seasonal Affective Disorder – Which One To Choose?
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) presents a unique opportunity in psychiatric prescribing because, unlike many other mood disorders, the timing of symptoms is often predictable. Patients typically...
If I Had 60 Seconds to Review a Med List, Here’s What I Would Do…
If I had 60 seconds to review a med list, I wouldn’t try to analyze every detail. That’s the biggest mistake clinicians make when time is limited. Instead, I rely on pattern recognition—quickly...
Why “Stable” Leads to Polypharmacy – 3 Case Examples
I've been collecting examples of situations where a patient is "stable", and a provider doesn't want to change medications. Stable is good, right? It is, but it can also lead to providers not...
Clonidine Versus Guanfacine – Comparison in ADHD
Clonidine and guanfacine are both alpha-2 adrenergic agonists used in the treatment of ADHD, but they behave differently enough in clinical practice that they are not truly interchangeable. In this...
5 Reasons To Get Rid Of PRNs
As-needed medications (PRNs) are a common part of life for geriatric patients in long-term care and assisted living facilities. They can make things more complicated as well, and I would implore you...
Bowel Regimens – Curbing Polypharmacy
One of the most common (and easily fixable) medication mismatches I see in practice involves bowel regimens that outlive their original purpose. This is a great example of how deprescribing can...
Beta-Blockers In Asthma; The Best and Worst
Beta-blockers have long been approached with caution in patients with asthma due to their potential to provoke bronchospasm and blunt the effects of rescue inhalers. This risk is largely driven by...
Study Materials For Pharmacists
