Lindsey R. Murphy, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP

In the past decade, the effects of antidepressants on the QT interval and the subsequent risk of cardiac arrhythmias have become a notable concern. When the FDA released a drug safety communication about the risk of abnormal changes in the electrical activity of the heart with citalopram, providers learned to consider this risk as not only an adverse effect of a specific medication, but also the consequence of drug-drug interactions.

Because patients who have psychiatric illnesses typically receive less frequent medical care, psychiatrists must aim to ensure appropriate monitoring of metabolic parameters when antipsychotic medications are used.