Abstract

Several studies including our own show 28% to 75% of psychiatric patients under care from outpatient or inpatient services to be treated with more than one psychotropic medication. Some of these combinations are not proven to increase effectiveness; others may reduce therapeutic efficacy, and still others may be deleterious to the patient. Some known interactions of psychoactive agents are discussed delineating beneficial as well as harmful interactions of these. A plea is made for caution on the part of the prescribing physician before more than one psychotropic medication is given concomitantly. More research on the effects of absorption, binding, distribution, metabolism and excretion of drugs on drug interactions is needed.