Category Archives: E-learning

Improve Rapport with difficult patients

As psychiatrists, we all come across patients who press our buttons and engender negative feelings, such as anger, frustration, and inadequacy.1 These patients have been referred to as “hateful” or “difficult” because they disrupt the treatment alliance.1,2 We are quick to point our fingers at such patients for making our jobs harder, being noncompliant, resisting the therapeutic […]

Drug Discovery

  Magid Abou-Gharbia, Ph.D., FRSC is currently the Associate Dean for Research, Laura H. Carnell Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Director of the Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research (MCDDR) at the School of Pharmacy, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA. He is responsible for Setting and implementing School of Pharmacy research strategies to promote the school’s research […]

SWOT Analysis -To Run your clinic or hospital

SWOT analysis (alternatively SWOT Matrix) is an acronym for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats and is a structured planning method that evaluates those four elements of an organization, project or business venture. A SWOT analysis can be carried out for a company, product, place, industry, or person. It involves specifying the objective of the business venture or project and identifying the internal […]

Bipolar Mood disorder

Diagnosing bipolar disorder Many patients with borderline personality disorder or other forms of moodiness are wrongly diagnosed as having bipolar disorder. On the other hand, it is simultaneously true that many patients with bipolar disorder (especially bipolar II disorder) continue to be misdiagnosed as having a depressive disorder. Because the treatment of depression and of bipolar […]

ICD-10-CM

(If you are not already signed up for FREE tips, news, and updates from this website, please enter your email address at the bottom of this page. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!) The US medical system switched from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM on October 1, 2015.  For billing and other purposes, clinicians in the US […]

Modafinil (Provigil®)

Modafinil (US brand name Provigil® and generic) is a wakefulness promoting agent. Here is key information about this medication. FDA-approved indications To improve wakefulness in adult patients with narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), or shift work disorder (SWD) Dosage 1. Adults Narcolepsy or OSA: 200 mg once daily in the morning Shift work disorder: 200 […]

How to Screen for Sleep Apnea

    To screen for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, we need to check for multiple factors. The STOP-Bang questionnaire looks at these multiple factors. A link to information about the questionnaire is provided below.       1. Snoring Ask the patient and the person who sleeps in the same room. But, many of our patients […]

New warning about aripiprazole

The FDA issued a warning on May 3, 2016 about aripiprazole stating that “compulsive or uncontrollable urges to gamble, binge eat, shop, and have sex have been reported with the use of aripiprazole (Abilify®, Abilify Maintena®, Aristada®, and generics). These uncontrollable urges were reported to have stopped when the medicine was discontinued or the dose […]

Olanzapine (Zyprexa®)

Olanzapine (US brand name Zyprexa® and generic) is a second-generation (atypical) antipsychotic. Here is basic information about this medication. FDA-approved indications 1. As oral formulation for: a. Schizophrenia in adults and adolescents b. Manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder in adults and adolescents (ages 13-17 ) c. Manic or mixed episodes associated […]

Paliperidone (Invega®)

Paliperidone extended-release (US brand name Invega® and generic) is a second-generation (“atypical”) antipsychotic. FDA-approved indications 1. Treatment of schizophrenia in adults and adolescents (ages 12-17) 2. Treatment of schizoaffective disorder in adults as monotherapy and as an adjunct to mood stabilizers and/or antidepressants. Dosage A. Schizophrenia (adults) Initial: 6 mg/day Recommended: 3 – 12 mg/day […]

Risperidone (Risperdal®)

Risperidone (US brand name Risperdal® and generic) is a second-generation (“atypical”) antipsychotic. Here is basic information about this medication. FDA-approved indications 1. Treatment of schizophrenia 2. As monotherapy or adjunctive therapy with lithium or valproate, for the treatment of acute manic or mixed episodes associated with Bipolar I Disorder 3. Treatment of irritability associated with autistic disorder […]

Risperidone long-acting (Risperdal Consta®)

Risperdal Consta® is a long-acting injectable formulation of risperidone, a second-generation (“atypical”) antipsychotic. Here is basic information about this medication. FDA-Approved Indications Schizophrenia Monotherapy for the maintenance treatment of Bipolar I Disorder Adjunctive therapy to lithium or valproate for the maintenance treatment of Bipolar I Disorder. Disadvantages Requires refrigeration Administered every 2 weeks rather than […]

3-month paliperidone palmitate (Invega Trinza®)

Paliperidone palmitate (Invega Trinza®) is an extended-release injectable second-generation (“atypical”) antipsychotic which can be administered once every 3 months. Here is basic information about this medication. FDA-Approved Indication Schizophrenia after adequate treatment with 1-month paliperidone palmitate extended-release (Invega Sustenna®) for at least four months. Dosage The dose of 3-month paliperidone palmitate (Invega Trinza®) will depend on the last […]

Paliperidone palmitate (Invega Sustenna®)

Paliperidone palmitate (Invega Sustenna®) is an extended-release injectable second-generation (“atypical”) antipsychotic. Here is basic information about this medication. FDA-approved indications Treatment of schizophrenia Treatment of schizoaffective disorder as monotherapy and as an adjunct to mood stabilizers or antidepressants Dosage A. Schizophrenia Initiation (IM deltoid): Administer 234 mg on day 1; 156 mg on day 8 Monthly […]