Safely Prescribing Medications with Increased Risks of Suicidality, Depression

Megan Maroney, PharmD, BCPP, clinical associate professor, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey; clinical psychiatric pharmacist, Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, NJ, explains several tips for safely monitoring patients who are on medications with higher risks of suicidality and depression. This video was filmed at the ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) 54th Midyear Clinical Meeting & Exhibition in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Megan Maroney, PharmD, BCPP: When we’re using medications that have an increased risk for depression and suicidality, the biggest factor is to monitor our patients very closely, especially those that have a history of depression or other mental health conditions. We want to be monitoring those patients especially early on. So, with a lot of medications—for example, the antidepressants—the risk is mostly seen within the first 2 to 4 weeks after starting an antidepressant. Educate patients and their family members, who may be monitoring them more closely on a daily basis, to look for any changes in mood or behavior. And then also, again, keeping track of symptoms over time, and making sure they connect with their provider if any changes in behavior are seen.