Medication Treatment Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychosis Disorders Essay

Description of the Psychopharmacology medication agent, including brand and generic names and appropriate FDA indication, uses

Olanzapine is an FDA-approved second-generation antipsychotic medication that is used for the treatment of schizophrenia among patients that are over 13 years. The drug has also been approved for bipolar disorders, including maniac episodes (Monahan et al., 2022). In the case of schizophrenia, the drug can be used during the onset of symptoms or even for long-term maintenance.

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Any supporting, valid and reliable research for non-FDA uses

Off-label use of antipsychotic drugs is very common among patients with mental illness, especially with single-agent medications. Olanzapine, for instance, has been used as an off-label drug in treating some psychotic illnesses such as dementia-related behavioural disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression (Berge et al., 2022). Medication Treatment Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychosis Disorders Essay

Drug classification

Olanzapine is a typical antipsychotic drug of the thienobenzodiazepine class. The drug has a molecular formula of C17H20N4S and a molecular weight of 312.44. Olanzapine is a yellow crystalline solid that is insoluble in water, and the tablets are meant for oral administration only. Common inactive ingredients include carnauba wax and hydroxypropyl cellulose.

The medication mechanism of action

The mode of action of olanzapine as an atypical antipsychotic drug is by exerting its action on serotonin and dopamine. Olanzapine works on dopamine D2 receptors in the mesolimbic pathway as an antagonist; in the process, it blocks dopamine at the post-synaptic receptor (Thomas & Saadabadi, 2018).

The medication pharmacokinetics

The pharmacokinetics of olanzapine is determined by the dose administered and the range of the dosage form. The pharmacokinetic relationship of the drug has a linear relationship with the half-life of olanzapine in healthy individuals at 33 hours. Still, it can differ with a range of between 21 to 54 hours (Thomas & Saadabadi, 2018). The mean plasma clearance for the drug is 26 L/h.

The medication pharmacodynamics

Olanzapine is a second-generation antipsychotic drug with a wide range of receptors with varied affinities for dopaminergic receptors, serotonin receptors, histamine H1 receptors, muscarinic receptors and the alpha1 adrenergic receptors (Keyal et al., 2017). Medication Treatment Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychosis Disorders Essay

Appropriate dosing, administration route and any considerations for dosing alterations

The dosage for olanzapine varies based on age; for adults, the dose for the drug is 5 to 10 mg once a day at first medication. The dosage can be titrated as appropriate, but it should not exceed 20mg daily at any given point. For children of 13 to 17 years, the first dosage should be 2.5 to 5 mg per day. Olanzapine is taken as a tablet orally by mouth, taken once a day. The tablet is taken at the same time daily.

Consider the use and dosing in specific speciality populations to consider children, adolescents, the elderly, pregnancy, suicidal behaviours, etc.

Olanzapine increases the risk of death among the elderly 65 years and above with symptoms of dementia-related psychosis. These populations’ leading cause of deans is heart problems, including heartbeat failure. Olanzapine can also cause suicidal thoughts; hence, the healthcare provider should be notified of such intentions immediately.

Definition of Half-life, why half-life is essential, and the half-life for your assigned medication 

The half-life of olanzapine ranges between 21 and 54 hours, with a median of 30 hours (Thomas & Saadabadi, 2018). The drug achieves a steady plasma concentration after a week when administered daily. Medication Treatment Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychosis Disorders Essay

Side effects/adverse reaction potentials

Olanzapine has various side effects but the main ones include restlessness, depression, weaknesses, constipation, difficulty walking, sleep disturbances and difficulty keeping balance.

Contraindications for use including significant drug-to-drug interactions

Olanzapine is contraindicated in diabetes, overweight individuals, breast cancer, individuals with cholesterol and prolactin levels, high levels of fat in blood and dehydration. Olanzapine causes overweight among patients (Meftah et al., 2020).

Overdose Considerations

Some common symptoms of olanzapine overdose include blurred vision, respiratory depression, CNS depression, hypotension, exceptionally high fever and anticholinergic effects.

Diagnostics and labs monitoring

Lab monitoring is essential during olanzapine administration. For instance, there is a need for kidney and liver function tests, glucose and cholesterol levels, blood pressure measurements and ECG for heart rate.

Legal and ethical considerations

In the administration of olanzapine for patients with mental health illnesses, some critical legal and ethical considerations include confidentiality, informed consent and involuntary treatment. Also, there is a need to consider beneficence in that the drug should be able to influence more benefits to the patient. Medication Treatment Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychosis Disorders Essay

Pertinent patient education considerations

Patients taking olanzapine need adequate education to enhance the drug’s effectiveness and monitor for adverse effects that may arise in the course of treatment. For instance, the patients must be advised to take olanzapine at around the same time daily and also watch out for side effects such as suicidal intentions.

References

Berge, J., Abri, P., Andell, P., Movahed, P., & Ragazan, D. C. (2022). Associations between off-label low-dose olanzapine and quetiapine and cardiometabolic mortality. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 149, 352-358.

Keyal, N., Shrestha, G. S., Pradhan, S., Maharjan, R., Acharya, S. P., & Marhatta, M. N. (2017). Olanzapine overdose presenting with acute muscle toxicity. International journal of critical illness and injury science, 7(1), 69.

Meftah, A. M., Deckler, E., Citrome, L., & Kantrowitz, J. T. (2020). New discoveries for an old drug: a review of recent olanzapine research. Postgraduate medicine, 132(1), 80-90.

Monahan, C., McCoy, L., Powell, J., & Gums, J. G. (2022). Olanzapine/Samidorphan: New Drug Approved for Treating Bipolar I Disorder and Schizophrenia. Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 10600280211070330.

Thomas, K., & Saadabadi, A. (2018). Olanzapine. https://europepmc.org/article/NBK/nbk532903 Medication Treatment Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychosis Disorders Essay