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Published on: November 21, 2013
Psychotropic medications and informed consent: a review
Bradford Frank1, Sanjay Gupta, Daniel J McGlynn
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, New York, USA. bfrank@thefrankgroup.com
Summary
Prescribing psychotropic medications requires careful informed consent due to safety concerns and legal risks. Understanding essential elements of consent is crucial for healthcare providers to avoid malpractice lawsuits.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Pharmacology
- Medical Law
Background:
- Growing concerns regarding psychotropic medication safety.
- Increased issuance of FDA black-box warnings and pharmaceutical company advisories.
- Healthcare providers face rising ethical, legal, and financial risks in prescribing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review essential elements of informed consent for psychotropic medication prescription.
- To discuss specific concerns regarding psychotropic use in pregnancy, off-label prescribing, and polypharmacy.
- To outline ten essentials for informed consent to promote good medical practice and mitigate malpractice risks.
Main Methods:
- Searched English language literature using Medline and internet.
- Utilized keywords: "black-box warning," "malpractice," "off-label prescribing," "informed consent," "medications and pregnancy," and specific drug names.
- Selected relevant articles and information for review.
Main Results:
- Reviewed essential elements for obtaining informed consent in psychotropic prescribing for capacitated patients.
- Discussed specific issues related to pregnancy, off-label use, and medication combinations.
- Identified ten key components of informed consent focused on medical practice and malpractice avoidance.
Conclusions:
- Increasing legal and special interest group scrutiny of psychiatric prescribing practices.
- Emphasized the paramount importance of obtaining informed consent for psychotropic medications in the current climate.
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