Drug Treatment in Old Age Psychiatry

Good prescribing is essential when treating older people with psychotropic drugs, given their vulnerability to adverse drug effects and to dangerous interactions. Drug Treatment in Old Age Psychiatry is an easy-to-use concise guide, providing clinicians with valuable advice on prescribing psychotropic drugs in their day-to-day management of older patients. Covering the most recent evidence and secondary analyses in this field, this volume summarizes core knowledge and best clinical practice in quick reference charts and boxes. All major psychiatric disorders are covered-including depression, anxiety disorders, mania and dementia. The author addresses a variety of relevant aspects, such as improving compliance, the range of available drugs, their characteristics and limitations, problems commonly encountered in their use and the importance of "individualizing" treatment to each patient. This volume provides a practical and accessible, up-to-date resource for practicing psychiatrists, psychiatrists-in-training, pharmacists and geriatricians, and it will also prove useful to nurses and psychologists, who are increasingly involved in the practicalities of drug administration for these patients.