[Approach to side effects of psychotropic drugs by a team]

Providing safer and more effective medication is the mission of a clinical pharmacist. A clinical pharmacist will never succeed in this mission if medicines are dispensed without considering these objectives. Clinical pharmacists must audit prescriptions, and they have a duty to inquire with the physician if anything warrants clarification. In other words, clinical pharmacists cannot function without collaboration by physicians. It is well known that antipsychotic drugs can induce various side effects, such as extrapyramidal symptoms and autonomic nervous system dysfunction. Such side effects were reported in 23.7 percent of 1123 patients treated with psychotropic medicines in general medicine wards, in a survey conducted by the Japanese Society of Hospital Pharmacists. Side effects are detrimental to patients' quality of life and indirectly affect their medication adherence rate. The physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and occupational therapists at the hospital where this study was conducted are researching these problems, with a particular focus on extrapyramidal symptoms. This study describes their efforts and discusses collaboration with physicians from a clinical pharmacist's perspective.