COURSE:
NR546 – Advanced Pharmacology: Psychopharmacology
Preparing the Discussion
Follow these guidelines when completing each component of the discussion. Contact your course faculty if you have questions.
General Directions
Review the provided case study to complete this week’s discussion.
Include the following sections:
- Application of Course Knowledge: Answer all questions/criteria with explanations and detail.
- Select one drug to treat the diagnosis(es) or symptoms.
- List medication class and mechanism of action for the chosen medication.
- Write the prescription in prescription format.
- Provide an evidence-based rationale for the selected medication using at least one scholarly reference. Textbooks may be used for additional references but are not the primary reference.
- List any side effects or adverse effects associated with the medication.
- Include any required diagnostic testing. State the time frame for this testing (testing is before medication initiation or q 3 months, etc.). Includes normal results range for any listed laboratory tests.
- Provide a minimum of three appropriate medication-related teaching points for the client and/or family.
- Integration of Evidence: Integrate relevant scholarly sources as defined by program expectations:
- Cite a scholarly source in the initial post.
- Cite a scholarly source in one faculty response post.
- Cite a scholarly source in one peer post.
- Accurately analyze, synthesize, and/or apply principles from evidence with no more than one short quote (15 words or less) for the week.
- Include a minimum of two different scholarly sources per week. Cite all references and provide references for all citations.
| Subjective | Objective |
| Patient’s Chief Complaints:
“I’m in danger” History of Present Illness WS is a 22-year-old Hispanic male brought in by his parents due to increasingly erratic behavior, social withdrawal, and impaired occupational functioning. WS states he believes he is being followed and “they are trying to get me and take me.” WS states the voices tell him he is being watched. He states he can hear two people talking to him and “they tell me everything, I know what people are saying.” He reports the voices tell him people want to lock him up. This has been occurring for the past 6 months now and the voices have become more frequent. WS displays disorganized thoughts, paranoid ideation, and auditory hallucinations. Family members express worry about his well-being and seek professional help due to a decline in WS functioning. Past psychiatric history: None Past Medical History: Acid reflux treated with OTC Tums. Family History • Father is alive, has anxiety
|
Physical Examination: General
Alert, appropriately dressed Hispanic male in no apparent distress. He appears older than his stated age. Vital Signs: BP-124/84, T-98.8F, P-82, RR-20, SpO2: 98% Wt 200 lbs, Ht 5’10” |
Solution
Week 3 Case Study
F20.9 Schizophrenia, unspecified
WS (F20.9) is the diagnosis of Unspecified schizophrenia. An appropriate medication to treat this condition is Aripiprazole (Abilify), an atypical antipsychotic. Aripiprazole is an atypical or second-generation antipsychotic that treats schizophrenic conditions. It primarily works as a partial dopamine agonist and will bind to the dopamine D2 receptor, although with less intrinsic activity than neurotransmitter binding. In this way, it helps to manage the dopamine imbalances that lead to schizophrenia. Modulating dopamine can reverse both the positive symptoms—hallucinations and delusions—and the negative symptoms associated with schizophrenia, including flatulence and social withdrawal.
Prescription:
Patient name and DOB
Patient Address: XXXXXXXXX
Date: 05/20/24
Aripiprazole tablets (10 mg)………………………………$15