Connie is a 47-year-old woman with schizophrenia. She has recently begun taking Haldol (a neuroleptic), but her family recently read about extrapyramidal side effects and has raised their concern with her psychiatrist. What would be the optimal course of action for the psychiatrist to take?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The optimal course of action for the psychiatrist in this situation would be to explore alternative medications for Connie that do not have extrapyramidal side effects. While reassuring the family (option A) and keeping the dosage low or using medication holidays (option B) may be viable options, they do not address the underlying concern about potential side effects. Discontinuing the drug immediately (option D) may not be appropriate without a proper replacement medication, and it is not necessarily indicative of the psychiatrist being out of date in their training. Therefore, option C, trying a newer drug for schizophrenia that does not have extrapyramidal side effects, would be the best choice.

Connie Is a 47-Year-Old Woman with Schizophrenia