Presented by

DR. GRACE FRANKEL, Clinical Pharmacist, Southern Health Sante Sud

Switching antidepressants can be quite confusing both for the practitioner and the patient. An understanding of pharmacology and pharmacokinetics of antidepressants can help with switching and can also aid in the addition of appropriate add-on therapy. The purpose of this session is to provide a strategic overview including relevant resources on how to switch antidepressant therapies safely. A discussion regarding recommended antidepressant augmentation strategies will also be included.

Learning Objectives:

1. Summarize important principles (i.e. half-life and mechanism of action) of antidepressants when considering a switch of therapy.

2. Describe scenarios when add-on therapy is appropriate for partial-responders to antidepressants.

3. Choose reliable clinical resources to aid in switching antidepressant therapies.