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 | 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...
by Eric Christianson | Oct 15, 2025 | Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine Case Studies
In this case scenario, I review a common situation I’ve encountered with duplicate antidepressant therapy. JS is a 67-year-old male with a history of type 2 diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, and depression. He has been taking sertraline (podcast) 100 mg daily for...
by Eric Christianson | Aug 6, 2025 | Polypharmacy Cases And The Prescribing Cascade
Here’s a question that comes up in hospice more than you’d think: Why would a hospice patient be on two antipsychotics at the same time? To the average clinician, this raises immediate concerns—duplication, unnecessary side effects, and polypharmacy in a population...
by Eric Christianson | Oct 14, 2020 | Gastrointestinal Medication and Disease State Clinical Pearls, Medication and Disease State Clinical Pearls For Pharmacists
This might be one of my biggest pet peeves. Adding a medication when we are already doing the opposite with another medication. I had a patient a while back who was taking cholestyramine twice daily for constipation. The patient and caregivers were unclear why the...
