Pharmacokinetic Interactions of New Antipsychotics with other Psychotropic Drugs

Abstract

The development of the new antipsychotics in the last decades, their intensive study and increased use in clinical practice have revealed a broad spectrum of data on drug-drug interactions with other psychotropic agents. Most of clinically significant pharmacokinetic interactions are those at the biotransformation level. Co-administration of inducers or inhibitors of major enzymes involved in antipsychotic drugs metabolism may lead to correspondent changes of their plasmatic concentration, possibly associated with reduced effectiveness, or increased risk of adverse effects, respectively. The best defence against these equally important, unwanted consequences is awareness of this issue. Knowledge of the pharmacokinetic interaction profile of individual drugs may help clinicians in choosing the best therapeutic option for distinct patients.