title: Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of antidepressant medications. Based on a presentation by C. Lindsay DeVane, PharmD.
abstract: Antidepressants can be categorized by their pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties. Of the various types of antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have become the most often prescribed. Some major pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic differences among the SSRIs include half-life, ease of discontinuation of therapy, and the potential for involvement in metabolic drug-drug interactions. Antidepressants are also compared with respect to efficacy, although little difference is thought to exist in the efficacy of different SSRIs. Thus, managed care providers must consider the more subtle differences among the effects of SSRIs in order to rank-order the preferences for selecting a specific drug for a particular patient.
mesh_terms: D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors