Antidepressant Pharmacology: Introduction for the Pharmacy Technician

Abstract

Objective:

To review the pharmacology of antidepressants and describe clinical applications of antidepressants in the treatment of depression.

Data Sources:

A MEDLINE/PubMed search (1995–July 2011) was conducted for English-language articles using the terms pharmacology, antidepressant, tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, venlafaxine, desvenlafaxine, duloxetine, bupropion, trazodone, nefazodone, mirtazapine, vilazodone, efficacy, adverse effects, and drug interactions. Book chapters related to the pharmacology of antidepressants were also searched.

Study Selection and Data Extraction:

Articles and book chapters relevant to the pharmacology of antidepressants were reviewed.

Data Synthesis:

Antidepressants exert pharmacologic actions via enzyme inhibition, reuptake inhibition, receptor antagonism, and receptor partial agonism. These actions can cause both therapeutic and adverse effects. Each antidepressant possesses a unique blend of pharmacologic actions, which helps to differentiate antidepressants and aids in the understanding of their particular efficacy profiles, adverse effect profiles, and pharmacodynamic drug interaction profiles.

Conclusions:

There are important clinical applications of the pharmacologic properties of antidepressants. Gaining familiarity with antidepressant pharmacology will enable the pharmacy technician to develop a more thorough understanding of the drug class.

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