by Eric Christianson | Jun 24, 2026 | Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine Case Studies
In this case scenario, I demonstrate the venlafaxine prescribing cascade. Mrs. J is a 72-year-old female with depression, chronic pain, and hypertension controlled on lisinopril 20 mg daily. Due to persistent depression and pain symptoms, her venlafaxine XR dose is...
by Eric Christianson | Feb 15, 2026 | Medication Errors, Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine Case Studies
Medication errors can get ugly in a hurry. I was prompted to write this example as I came across a situation recently where an elderly patient received a schizophrenic patient’s high-dose antipsychotic. This high dose antipsychotic error resulted in an ICU stay...
by Eric Christianson | Jan 28, 2026 | Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine Case Studies
This was a case I came across recently where duloxetine was added to a patient’s regimen. The provider did not adequately assess the medication and recognize that the patient was already taking an SNRI in Effexor. This led to a case of duplicate SNRI therapy....
by Eric Christianson | Dec 10, 2025 | Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine Case Studies
I recently came across a case scenario of drug induced akathisia. It is important to remember that aripiprazole is one of the most common causes of this adverse effect. Here’s the case – LY is a 72-year-old man with a 10-year history of Parkinson’s disease...
by Eric Christianson | Nov 23, 2025 | Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine Case Studies
A 45-year-old woman with a history of bipolar I disorder was recently hospitalized for a manic episode. Following stabilization, her psychiatrist initiated lithium carbonate at 300 mg twice daily for mood stabilization. Her baseline thyroid function tests were within...
by Eric Christianson | Nov 16, 2025 | Long Term Care Consultant Pharmacist Education and Information, Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine Case Studies
It’s not uncommon to see patients in long-term care facilities prescribed medications for anxiety, agitation, or insomnia. Two such medications that can raise red flags are Atarax (hydroxyzine) and Ativan (lorazepam). While both can be appropriate in select...
