Decision Factors In Selecting Medications

Where to start?

Be honest and open when discussing concerns with your doctor. Choosing the right medication and dose should be based on each individual’s needs. Your doctor will choose a medication based on:

  • Symptoms you currently have
  • Age
  • Sex or gender identity
  • Allergies or problems you had with medications
  • Other health conditions you have
  • Other medications you take
  • Medications you have tried and how these worked for you
  • If anyone in your family is or has been on any medication that has helped symptoms you have
  • How regularly you take your medication(s)
  • Cost of medications and insurance
  • If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant

Resources

  1. Achtyes E, Simmons A, Skabeev A, Levy N, Jiang Y, et al. Patient preferences concerning the efficacy and side-effect profile of schizophrenia medications: a survey of patients living with schizophrenia. BMC Psychiatry. 2018 Sep 12;18(1):292. PubMed PMID: 30223804; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6142379.
  2. Chen JJ. Treatment of psychotic symptoms in patients with Parkinson disease. Ment Health Clin. 2017 Nov;7(6):262-270. PubMed PMID: 29955532; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6007727.
  3. Lieberman JA, Stroup TS, McEvoy JP, Swartz MS, Rosenheck RA, et al. Effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs in patients with chronic schizophrenia. N Engl J Med. 2005 Sep 22;353(12):1209-23. PubMed PMID: 16172203.
  4. Spina E, de Leon J. Clinically relevant interactions between newer antidepressants and second-generation antipsychotics. Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol. 2014 May;10(5):721-46. PubMed PMID: 24494611.
  5. Bandelow B, Michaelis S, Wedekind D. Treatment of anxiety disorders. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2017 Jun;19(2):93-107. PubMed PMID: 28867934; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5573566.
  6. Cipriani A, Furukawa TA, Salanti G, Chaimani A, Atkinson LZ, et al. Comparative efficacy and acceptability of 21 antidepressant drugs for the acute treatment of adults with major depressive disorder: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Lancet. 2018 Apr 7;391(10128):1357-1366. PubMed PMID: 29477251; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5889788.
  7. De Fazio P, Gaetano R, Caroleo M, Pavia M, De Sarro G, et al. Lithium in late-life mania: a systematic review. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2017;13:755-766. PubMed PMID: 28331326; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5352229.