title: Medication management, antidepressant drugs, and the elderly: an overview.
abstract: 1. Several factors may affect an elderly client's use of medications: polypharmacy, potentially leading to interactions; over-the-counter drugs taken without a physician's knowledge; noncompliance or poor compliance with medication regimens; and ageist beliefs. 2. Psychiatric nurses must be aware that the signs and symptoms they observe may be the result of normal physical or biological aging, psychosocial changes, disease-related changes, medication side effects, or a drug interaction. 3. Nurses must ask two questions when psychotropic drugs are used with elderly clients: What will be the onset, duration, magnitude, and characteristic action of a specific drug in an individual; and What are the characteristics of an "ideal" medication?
authors.affiliation: Abbe Center for Community Mental Health, Cedar Rapids, IA 52405.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Buckwalter
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000523:psychology*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents