• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.338-356
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• 2013

Purpose: This study critically reviewed nursing research psychotropic drugs that has been published in Korean journals. Another aim of this study was to identify trends in nursing research on psychotropic drugs and make suggestions for further study in Korea. Methods: Data were collected from degree theses and original articles on psychotropic drugs published in Korean journals from 1992 to 2013. Thirty-four articles were analyzed of which at least one nursing author participated in the study. Search keywords were "psychotropic drug" and "mentally ill patient & medication". Results: For the research design, quasi-experimental study was 58.8%, descriptive study was 17.7%, descriptive correlational study was 8.8%, qualitative study was 8.8% and model development research was 5.9%. Variables measured were knowledge of medication & symptom management, knowledge of disease, side effects, drug attitude, medication pattern, diet & activity, quality of life, and self-care. Conclusion: Despite recent increased interest in psychiatric medication, research on psychotropic drugs remains very limited, particularly regarding findings from a nurse's perspective. More research project should be designed to develop programs for the treatment of side effects from a nursing view-point.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.49-66
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• 1999

Polypharmacotherapy, both psychotropic and nonpsychotropic, is widespread in various situations including psychiatric hospitals and general hospitals. As the clinical practice of using more than one drug at a time increase, the clinician is faced with ever-increasing number of potential drug interactions. Although many interactions have little clinical significances, some may interfere with treatment or even be life-threatening. The objective of this review is evaluation for drug-drug interactions often encountered in psychiatric consultation. Drug interactions can be grouped into two principal subdivisions : pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic. These subgroups serve to focus attention on possible sites of interaction as a drug moves from the site of administration and absorption to its site of action. Pharmacokinetic processes are those that include transport to and from the receptor site and consist of absorption, distribution on body tissue, plasma protein binding, metabolism, and excretion. Pharmacodynamic interactions occur at biologically active sites. In psychiatric consultation, these two subdivisions of drug interactions between psychotropic drugs and other drugs are likely to happen. We gathered informations of the drugs used in physically ill patients who are consulted to psychiatric department in Korea University Hospital. And we reviewed the related literatures about the drug-drug interactions between psychotropic drugs and other drugs.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.55-65
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• 1983

This survey was carried out to investigate the pattern of taking psychotropic drugs for 618 cases who visited 48 drugstores located as such four types of areas as business sections, gay quarters, residential sections and quasi-industrial areas from May, 1982 to March, 1983. The results are summarized as follows: I. The age distribution: The age group of 20-29 showed the highest distribution covering 35.6% as 220 out of 618 cases. The age groups of thirties and forties covered 23.0% and 19.0% respectively. The sex ratio was estimated as 1:1.86. 2. The occupational distribution: The unemployees composed the largest portion covering 53.7% as 332 out of 618. Above all the class of the housewives was 32.7%. 3. The marital status: The degree of distribution was higher on the sides of the group of married people than that of single and its percentage was 30.1. 4. The educational level: Most of the people who purchased the drugs had no knowledge of the effect of the drugs, and they covered 80.9%. 5. As for the motives, the twenties took psychotropic drugs in order to relief insomnia and that was the biggest major motive at the portion of 59.1%, 130 out of 618. 6. The age group of twenties who took the drugs for about 6 months showed the highest percentage of 52.7%. 7. The highest distribution appeared in the case that takes one or two tablets a day for less than 6 months. 8. The dosage distribution by the number of times taking the drugs The group of people that took the drugs more than 3 to 4 tablets a day as the number of 1 to 3 times covered 41.7\ulcorner0 of 187. 9. The most favorite psychotropic drugs: Lorazepam was showed to be the most favorite drugs by either male or female covered 50.9o70, 54.2\ulcornero respectively. 10. The motives of selecting drugs: The optional motives of selecting psychotropic drugs were showed 269 (43.5%) out of 618 cases that chose the drugs for themselves.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.46-55
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• 1998

Any compound which disrupts the integrity of psychological aspects of performance, in particular, cognitive ability and psychomotor function analogous to the psychological behaviors of routine life, is known to be behaviorally toxic. A significant level of behavioral toxicity will interfere with patient safety and quality of life, and also may be counter-therapeutic by exacerbating the condition that the drug was prescribed for. Now, behavioral toxicity of psychotropic drugs has become one of the main growth areas of psychopharmacological research. Evaluation of the potential of drug-induced behavioral toxicity is important not only to the experimental researcher involved in human psychopharmacology, but also to the clinical practitioner treating psychiatric patients. This article attempts to describe behavioral toxicity of the three classes of psychotropic drugs - benzodiazepines, antidepressants and neuroleptics. After a brief discussion of some methodological issues arising in the investigation of behavioral toxicity, each of these drug classes is reviewed in the context of practical importance rather than purely scientific concern. The last session summarizes some suggestions for future studies on drug-induced behavioral toxicity.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.56-65
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• 1998

Clinicians can use therapeutic drug monitoring(TDM) to optimise dosage decisions with psychotropic drugs, in order to maximize efficacy and prevent toxicity, especially when individuals are nonresponsive to treatment or vulnerable to adverse reactions with standard doses because age, disease states or drug interactions. Currently, therapeutic drug concentrations have been established for the TCA and lithium. There is also evidence for the usefulness of TDM with carbamazepine, valproic acid and some antipsychotic drugs. However for most psychotropic drugs this approach remains experimental. TDM-assisted psychiatric treatment is potentially useful and cost effective, particularly when applied by psychiatrists who are knowledgeable of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.280-285
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• 2015

Objectives: To suggest direction for improving policies by understanding current management of narcotics or psychotropic drugs and analyzing their distributions and usage. Method: We conducted a comparison analysis between health insurance claims and the amount supplied to health care institutions for narcotics or psychotropic drugs through health insurance claims data and drug distribution supply data from 2010 to 2012 collected from Korea Pharmaceutical Information Service Center (KPIS). Furthermore, we carried out literature investigation and online search to comprehend the current management of narcotics drugs in Korea. Results: The amount supplied to medical institutions for all drugs in 2012 was 19.4 trillion won, which increased from 19.5 trillion in 2011 by 0.54%. For narcotic drugs, the amount supplied was 318.4 billion won in 2011 and increased to 335.1 billion won by 5.3% in 2012, which exceeded the rate of increase for the amount supplied for all drugs. The proportion of amount claimed in the total amount supplied to medical institutions for all drugs was 60.5% in 2012, whereas the proportion of amount claimed for narcotic drugs was 55.6%, which showed that narcotic drugs were used relatively less within health insurance. Furthermore, management of the current domestic distribution supply data focuses on manufacturing and medical institution supply stages. Conclusion: Hereafter, the management of narcotics or psychotropic drugs needs to be improved by reinforcing active monitoring in optimal prescription and usage in patients by collecting and analyzing information on drug usage of patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.4261-4264
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• 2014

Objective: To examine the prescription rates in cancer patients of three common psychotropic drugs: anxiolytic/hypnotic, antidepressant and antipsychotic. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, data were extracted from the pharmacy database of University Malaya Medical Center (UMMC) responsible for dispensing records of patients stored in the pharmacy's Medication Management and Use System (Ascribe). We analyzed the use of psychotropics in patients from the oncology ward and cardiology from 2008 to 2012. Odds ratios (ORs) were adjusted for age, gender and ethnicity. Results: A total of 3,345 oncology patients and 8,980 cardiology patients were included. Oncology patients were significantly more often prescribed psychotropic drugs (adjusted OR: anxiolytic/hypnotic=5.55 (CI: 4.64-6.63); antidepressants=6.08 (CI: 4.83-7.64) and antipsychotics=5.41 (CI: 4.17-7.02). Non-Malay female cancer patients were at significantly higher risk of anxiolytic/hypnotic use. Conclusions: Psychotropic drugs prescription is common in cancer patients. Anxiolytic/hypnotic prescription rates are significantly higher in non-Malay female patients in Malaysia.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.23-37
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• 1973

This paper presents the effect of chronic administration of psychotropic drugs on rats. The experimental animals were litter mates (average initial body weight $47{\pm}1.1g$) whose mother were bred at our laboratory. Each litter mate was treated as one group. Control animals were treated with tap water and each experimental group was treated with caffeine citrate 0.1%, nialamide 0.1%, ethyl alcohol 2.5%, phenobarbital sod. 0.1%, diphenylhydantoin 0.1%, chlorpromazine 0.1%, reserpine 0.005%, diazepam 0.01%, chlorpheniramine 0.01% solutions respectively in drinking water over a period of ten weeks. All rats were allowed food and drinking water ad libitum. The mortality rate and the per cent increase of body weight were recorded weekly throughout the course of the experiment. The effects of above agents on the pentobarbital sleeping time, gastric secretion, and brain and liver weights were studied at the end of ten weeks treatment. The obtained results are summarized as follows: 1. Mortality rate was highest in the groups treated with phenobarbital and chlorpromazine respectively. Through the experimental period (ten weeks), the mortality rate was higher in earlier stage than in the later period. 2. During the period of prolonged administration of psychotropic drugs, only diazepam treated group showed remarkable difference in per cent increase of body weight from the control group of rats. 3. Acute treatment with psychotropic drugs delayed the onset of pentobarbital sleeping time. In contrast, the sleeping time was significantly shortened (p<0.001) when the rats were treated chronically with those agents. 4. The effects of chronic treatment with phenobarbital or diphenylhydantoin on the gastric secretion are as follows: the total acidity was remarkably decreased while the pH was increased. 5. The brain weight was significantly decreased in the ethyl alchol and in the chlorpheniramine treated groups, in the mean time, there was no change in liver weight treated with any psychotropic drugs.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.57-65
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• 2011

There are numerous drug interactions related to many psychotropic and cardiovascular medications. Firstly, the principles in predicting drug interactions are discussed. Cytochrome P (CYP) 450 plays a significant role in the metabolism of these drugs that are substrates, inhibitors, or inducers of CYP450 enzymes. The two most significant enzymes are CYP2D6 and CYP3A4. The ability of psychotropic drugs to act as inhibitors for the enzymes may lead to altered efficacy or toxicity of co-administered cardiovascular agents as a substrate for the enzymes. The following is also a review of the known interactions between many commonly prescribed cardiovascular agents and psychotropic drugs. Most beta blockers are metabolized by CYP2D6, which may lead to drug toxicity when they use in combination with potent CYP2D6 inhibitors including bupropion, chlorpromazine, haloperidol, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and quinidine. Concomitant administration of lithium with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, and diuretics may increase serum lithium concentrations and toxicity. Calcium channel blockers and cholesterol lowering agents are subject to interactions with potent inhibitors of CYP3A4, such as amiodarone, diltiazem, fluvoxamine, nefazodone, and verapamil. Prescribing antiarrhythmic drugs in conjunction with medications are known to prolong QT interval and/or inhibitors on a relevant CYP450 enzyme is generally not recommended, or needs watchful monitoring. Digoxin and warfarin also have warrant careful monitoring if co-administered with psychotropic drugs.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.506-512
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• 2012

Although pruritus is the critical symptom of atopic dermatitis that profoundly affect the patients' quality of life, controlling and management of prurirtus still remains as unmet needs mainly due to the distinctive multifactorial pathogenesis of pruritus in atopic dermatitis. Based on the distinct feature of atopic dermatitis that psychological state of patients substantially influence on the intensity of pruritus, various psychotropic drugs have been used in clinic to relieve pruritus of atopic dermatitis patients. Only several psychotropic drugs were reported to show real antipruritic effects in atopic dermatitis patients including naltrexone, doxepin, trimipramine, bupropion, tandospirone, paroxetine and fluvoxamine. However, the precise mechanisms of antipruritic effect of these psychotropic drugs are still unclear. In human skin, serotonin receptors and serotonin transporter protein are expressed on skin cells such as keratinocytes, melanocytes, dermal fibroblasts, mast cells, T cells, natural killer cells, langerhans cells, and sensory nerve endings. It is noteworthy that serotonergic drugs, as well as serotonin itself, showed immune-modulating effect. Fenfluramine, fluoxetine and 2, 5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine significantly decreased lymphocyte proliferation. It is still questionable whether these serotonergic drugs exert the immunosuppressive effects via serotonin receptor or serotonin transporter. All these clinical and experimental reports suggest the possibility that antipruritic effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in atopic dermatitis patients might be at least partly due to their suppressive effect on T cells. Further studies should be conducted to elucidate the precise mechanism of neuroimmunological interaction in pruritus of atopic dermatitis.