Prescribing and deprescribing antipsychotics for psychotic disorders: Focus on schizophrenia

We plan to have an intarctive format of the course, however instead of splitting different topics between the two speakers we break down the course in subtopics, which both of us will address and discuss with the inclusion of the participants.

Part I. Pharmacology
– Clinically relevant information on neurotransmitters
– Different formulations of AP
– How to define the appropriate dose of an AP for a patient?
– Benefits of therapeutic (plasma level) drug monitoring

Part II. Efficacy and effectiveness of AP
– How do patients, family members, and health care team members define efficacy?
– Pharmacological treatment of positive and negative symptoms including agitation and suicidal behavior of schizophrenia
– Acute and maintenance treatment in schizophrenia
– Response, remission and treatment resistance

Part III. Safety and tolerabillity of AP
– Preventions and management of the most common side effects and drug-drug interactions during AP treatment

Part IV. Prescribing and deprescribing AP and other medications
– AP treatment: monotherapy; combining or switching antipsychotics for nonresponse. Clozapine treatment.
– What is the duration of AP treatment in schizophrenia?
– How to discontinue/deprescribe AP treatment?

Course Directors: Istvan Bitter, Hungary and Matej Štuhec, Slovenia