NURS 6521 Discussion: Comparing and Contrasting Pharmacologic Options for the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Discussion Comparing and Contrasting Pharmacologic Options for the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder

NURS 6521 Discussion: Comparing and Contrasting Pharmacologic Options for the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Discussion Comparing and Contrasting Pharmacologic Options for the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder

The importance of mental health pharmacology therapy continues to increase.  The purpose of this discussion is to share pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and treatment options of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).  In depth drug therapy comprehension of GAD improves the quality of mental health pharmacology, parallel to importance.

Pharmacodynamics

Pharmacodynamics of SSRIs, as a anxiolytic drug therapy is the focused comprehension for pharmacodynamics.  Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is the focus due to its primary mechanism of action to inhibit presynaptic reuptake of serotonin at the serotonin transporter (Edinoff, Akuly, Hanna, Ochoa, Patti, Ghaffar, … & Kaye,  2021).  As a nurse practitioner understands the mode of action for SSRIs, safety and efficacy of the drug therapy improves.   Factors that may affect SSRIs mechanism include genetics (Pogliani, Falvella, Cattaneo, Pileri, Moscatiello, Cheli, … & Zuccotti, 2017).  Therefore practitioners would consider genetics in their patients assessment and examinations.

Pharmacokinetics

Pharmacokinetics of anxiolytic drugs are extremely important to know and appropriately take into consideration for a patient’s pharmacotherapy.  Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have favorable pharmacokinetics compared to drugs, such as, benzodiazepines (Crocco, Jaramillo, Cruz-Ortiz, & Camfield, 2017).  Therefore, I chose to explore pharmacokinetics of SSRIs.  SSRIs metabolic enzyme, cytochromes create large volumes of distribution (Pogliani, Falvella, Cattaneo, Pileri, Moscatiello, Cheli, … & Zuccotti, 2017).  The practitioners comprehend that the creation of large volume allows SSRIs to cover more areas, which increases the safety of the drug. Other factors to consider with SSRIs pharmacokinetics is age, liver function, kidney function (Strawn, Geracioti, Rajdev, Clemenza, & Levine, 2018).  If the practitioner understands that SSRIs metabolize in liver and their patient has liver failure, the drug would unsafe.

Treatment Options

Exploring treatment options for GAD is vital to patients’ mental healthcare quality.  Concurrent psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy

Discussion Comparing and Contrasting Pharmacologic Options for the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder

is a recommendation with first line drug therapy of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the first-line drug therapy due to its broad-spectrum efficacy and second-line pharmacotherapies may include buspirone, benzodiazepins, SGAs and pregabalin (Strawn, Geracioti, Rajdev, Clemenza, & Levine, 2018).  A patient with GAD should seek mental health therapy simultaneous as they start drug therapy; the combination of both therapies has a better chance of improving symptoms.  Other treatment options are available if the first line therapy is ineffective.

Summary

Data about pharmacotherapy for mental health continues to trend with much importance.  Discussions about the pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and treatment options allows nurse practitioner students to increase their knowledge on anxiolytic pharmacotherapy.  As the student nurses continues to enhance their knowledge base, mental health pharmacotherapy advances.