FDA Approval of Prozac

In 1987, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of the first Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) called “Fluoxetine,” otherwise known by the brand name “Prozac”. It was first manufactured by Eli Lilly. Fluoxetine is used for the treatment of many disorders including major depressive disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, bulimia, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder, as well as many others. This drug introduced a major change to the world of mental health treatment, the approval of which was a catalyst for the development of further SSRI’s. Currently, one in ten people in the United States are prescribed to take an antidepressant, explaining the importance of this event. In fact, between 2001 and 2010, there has been a 22% increase in the use of medication for mental health issues. This represents a heavy reliance on medication when it has also been shown that psychotherapy is just as effective as the use of medication to manage mental health issues.

While at first the introduction of medication to mental health treatment seems like a wonderful change, there are a myriad of issues that come along with mental health medication. First and foremost, all drugs come with undesirable side effects. In the case of Fluoxetine, these include things such as sexual dysfunction, anxiety, insomnia, loss of appetite, and increased suicidal thoughts. In addition, it has become common practice for primary care physicians to prescribe mental health medication without consultation and evaluation from a psychology professional. ~~Finally, it has been found that 50% of people are medication noncompliant.(~~this should be cited, I am not sure where this came from so I cannot site it myself). This can be due to a number of reasons such as ineffective communication on the part of the physician, lack of involvement in treatment decision making, and limited access to care .

#### Further Reading

1. Herzberg, D. (2010). Happy Pills in America: From Miltown to Prozac. United Kingdom: Johns Hopkins University Press.
2. Rubin, D. H. (2019). *Illuminating the Black Box: Antidepressants, Youth and Suicide*. Psychiatry Academy, Massachusetts General Hospital.
3. Healy, D. (2006). Let Them Eat Prozac: The Unhealthy Relationship Between the Pharmaceutical Industry and Depression. United Kingdom: NYU Press.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 *Prozac (fluoxetine): Side effects, dosage, uses & interactions*. Drugwatch.com. (n.d.). Retrieved December 6, 2021, from https://www.drugwatch.com/ssri/prozac/.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Smith, B. L. (2012, June). *Inappropriate prescribing*. Monitor on Psychology. Retrieved December 6, 2021, from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/06/prescribing.
3. ↑ Sohel, A. J. (2021, July 1). *Fluoxetine*. StatPearls [Internet]. Retrieved December 6, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459223/.
4. ↑ Brown, M. T., & Bussell, J. K. (2011). Medication adherence: Who cares? *Mayo Clinic Proceedings*, *86*(4), 304–314. https://doi.org/10.4065/mcp.2010.0575
Discussion Questions:

1. What are other reasons people may choose to discontinue the use of their medication on their own?
2. What are the stigmas that still exist surrounding medication for psychological issues?
3. What is the time period for noticeable effects from this medication?