prescribing patterns Carlat Reports

Research Update

Prescribing Patterns for Children With Anxiety Disorders

From The Carlat Child Psychiatry Report, Depression in Children and Adolescents

Review of: Bushnell GA et al, J Clin Psychiatry 2018;79(1):pii:16m11415 Anxiety disorders are some of the most common conditions we encounter in children and adolescents, and clinicians employ a variety of medications to treat them. This study examined prescribing patterns for the initial treatment of pediatric anxiety. Researchers analyzed a larg

Clinical Update

The “Z-Drugs”: Safety Issues and Misuse Potential

From The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report, Emerging Risks for Old Medications

Originally marketed as safer alternatives to benzodiazepines, the Z-drugs—eszopiclone (Lunesta), zaleplon (Sonata), and zolpidem (Ambien)—were considered devoid of misuse potential. But recent data and FDA warnings suggest we’ve been hitting the snooze on them for too long. Here, we review their risks and discuss safe prescribing. Medical risks

Clinical Update

Muscle Relaxants: Sedatives Often Under the Radar

From The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report, Emerging Risks for Old Medications

Muscle relaxants are a diverse group of medications with varying mechanisms of action (see Commonly Prescribed Muscle Relaxants table below). They are indicated for short-term treatment (2–3 weeks) of acute, painful muscle spasms, as well as some chronic neurologic conditions associated with spasticity. However, many patients with chronic pain are on

Expert Q&A

Benzodiazepines: Old Medicines, New Concerns

From The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report, Emerging Risks for Old Medications

CATR: To begin, tell us about the research and clinical work you do. Dr. Morford: I am an assistant professor at the Yale School of Medicine in the Program of Addiction Medicine. I trained as a general internist, and I see patients primarily at a large opioid treatment program and in an inpatient setting on an addiction consult service. I’m involved