Peer Review and the Use of Psychotropic Drugs

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the American Psychiatric Association's screening criteria for psychotropic drug use, what lies behind that project, and how it may be useful in Canada. Psychotropic drugs are among the most widely prescribed class of drugs in all of medicine. They are probably the leading tool in psychiatry, and are commonly used in other specialities as well. The chapter also describes the philosophy behind the screening criteria, defines several terms contained in them, and describes how to use the criteria in case reviews. In very few cases, using antipsychotic drugs along with antianxiety drugs may be helpful. Common side effects of the antipsychotic drugs include persistent sedation, urinary retention, and syncope. Death, whether drug related, occurs infrequently; it is always worth investigating why a psychiatric patient dies. The “Fixed-Radio Combination Products” criteria represent a real difference of opinion between the group of experts and what is recognized to be a prevailing practice. There are several possible applications for those criteria in Canada or the United States.