Has suffered from depression for two years, after the death of his wife. You want to prescribe an antidepressant drug.
Elderly people are one of several categories of high-risk patients.
Dosage schedules for antidepressant drugs in the elderly usually recommend that the dose be reduced to half the adult dose, for two reasons. At a full adult dose the plasma curve may rise above the therapeutic window, leading to side effects, especially anticholinergic and cardiac effects. Secondly, metabolism and renal clearance of the drug and its active metabolites may be reduced in the elderly, also increasing the plasma curve. Thus, in prescribing the normal adult dosage your patient will be exposed to unnecessary and possibly harmful side effects. Convenience A dosage schedule should be convenient.