4.3 Pharmacotherapy of schizophrenia Flashcards
What are the key features that define psychotic disorders?
- Delusions
- Hallucinations: usually auditory
- Disorganized thinking and speech
- Disorganized or abnormal motor behavior
- Negative sxs
What is the avg diagnosis age by sex and disease course progression in schizophrenia?
- Onset late adolescence to early adulthood
- Late teens/early 20’s for men
- Late 20’s, early 30’s for women
Why is it thought that women have a later age of schizophrenia onset?
Estrogen might be protective against schizophrenia
What is the link between smoking and schizophrenia?
- Smoking is associated w 1A2 induction due to the hydrocarbons
- Hydrocarbons decreases serum conc. of 1A2 substrate antipsychotics (olanzapine, asenapine, clozapine, loxapine)
Which substances are linked to hastening the onset of schizophrenia, but not causing it?
Marijuana, cocaine, and amphetamine can hasten the onset, but not exacerbate sxs, and reduce time to relapse
How can substance abuse with schizophrenia be treated?
- Substance use tx can be successfully achieved along w mental health tx in pts w schizophrenia
- Should be undertaken at the same time
What must be considered during antipsychotic drug therapy?
- Doses per day
- SEs
- Previous drug therapy
- Cost of drug therapy
- Concomitant drug therapy
- Need for monitoring: labs, weight, ECG
Which therapy is considered 1st line?
Oral antipsychotic drug therapy is generally considered 1st line, unless the pt presents w reasons to consider IM depot drug therapy first
What are typical antipsychotics?
Older agents: primarily D2 receptor antagonists
What is the efficacy of typical antipsychotics?
Efficacy for positive sxs, similar to atypical antipsychotics
What drugs are typical antipsychotics?
- Haloperidol
- Fluphenazine, chlorpromazine, perphenazine, thioridazine
- Loxapine (atypical in practice)
What is the most commonly used typical antipsychotic?
Haloperidol, routine and PRN
What do higher potency typicals have?
EPS (extrapyramidal SEs) w higher potency typicals
What are typical antipsychotics effective for?
Very effective for treating the positive sxs, but are likely to worsen negative and cognitive sxs
What drugs are partial agonists (atypical)?
Aripiprazole, Brexpiprazole, Cariprazine
How do partial agonists (atypical) work?
“Stabilize” dopamine transmission
What are partial agonists (atypical) associated more with?
Associated with more akathisia than other antipsychotics
What are partial agonists (atypical) approved for?
Approved for adjunct tx in depression so all have boxed warning for suicidal thoughts/behavior
Aripiprazole drug info.
- 2D6 and 3A4 substrate
- Moderate akathisia
- Low weight gain
Brexpiprazole drug info.
- 2D6 and 3A4 substrate
- Moderate akathisia
- Low-moderate weight gain
Cariprazine drug info.
- 3A4 substrate
- Moderate akathisia
- Low-moderate weight gain
Which drugs are the “pines” atypicals?
- Asenapine
- Clozapine
- Olazapine
- Quetiapine
Asenapine drug info.
- Sublingual and patch formulations
- UGT and 1A2 substrate
- QTc prolongation
Clozapine drug info.
- 1A2 substrate
- Boxed warnings: neutropenia, orthostasis, bradycardia, syncope, seizures, myocarditis, cardiomyopathy
- SEs: sedation, weight gain, constipation, hypersalivation, dry mouth, GI hypomotility w obstruction risk
- QTc prolongation
- Most weight gain
Olanzapine drug info.
- 1A2 substrate
- Significant weight gain and sedation
- High risk metabolic syndrome
- DRESS warning
Quetiapine drug info.
- 3A4 substrate
- QTc prolongation
- Weight gain and sedation
- Boxed warning for suicidal ideation
What are application directions for asenapine transdermal patch (secuado)?
Apply one patch q24h, rotate patch site to minimize application site rxns
Asenapine transdermal patch (secuado) is a UGT and 1A2 substrate. What must be done if given w strong 1A2 inhibitors?
Reduce dose of patch if given w strong 1A2 inhibitors (e.g. fluvoxamine)
What is required for a clozapine prescription?
Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) monitoring; within last 7 days
What is the required ANC count for clozapine and what are the monitoring timelines?
- ANC to 1500 uL or higher to initiate therapy
- Monitoring weekly x6 months, biweekly x6 months, then q4 weeks
Lybalvi is the brand product of olanzapine/samidorphan. Why is samidorphan in the mix?
Samidorphan added to mitigate weight gain
What is samidorphan?
An opioid antagonist w preferential activity at the mu opioid receptor
When is samidorphan CI?
CI in pts currently taking opioids or in opioid withdrawal
What drugs are the “dones” atypicals?
Iloperidone, lurasidone, ziprasidone, risperidone, paliperidone
Iloperidone drug info.
- Highest risk for orthostasis
- QTc prolongation
- 2D6 substrate