Pharmacodynamic Drug Interactions in Bipolar Disorder Treatment

Pharmacodynamic drug interactions can be a potential hindrance to clinicians and patients in treatment with 2 or more medications, altering drug effects and efficacy. Following his Psych Congress Elevate 2022 session "Pharmacodynamic Drug Interactions in Psychiatry: The Good, The Bad and How to Tell the Difference," Paul Zarkowski, MD, senior psychiatric supervisor at Sound Community Mental Health Center and clinical assistant professor at University of Washington, discussed the most common drug interactions clinicians should be aware of and how to limit side effects and improve drug efficacy while treating patients with bipolar disorder.

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Paul Zarkowski, MD, is a senior psychiatric supervisor at Sound Community Mental Health Center and a UW clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.

Dr Zarkowski evaluates and provides acute care to people suffering a psychiatric crisis, and helps patients develop healthy techniques to maintain their well-being. He believes the knowledge base on which decisions regarding the treatment of mental illness can be made is constantly expanding, and using this new knowledge to help patients more effectively is truly rewarding. Dr Zarkowski's recent interests include improving efficacy of psychiatric regimens, by prescribing fewer medications with fewer pharmacodynamic interactions. His other clinical interests include psychiatric emergencies and psychopharmacology. He has published articles and book chapters on the assessment of psychiatric emergencies and the neurobiology of mental illness.

Read the transcript here.