Psychotropic drugs induced adverse drug reactions: A prospective observational study

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) associated with psychotropic drugs are common and is considered as one of the leading causes of morbidity. Objective: To identify and analyse the ADRs among patients admitted to the department of psychiatry of a tertiary care hospital. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted for a period of eight months. All suspected reactions observed from the patients were assessed for the possibility of ADRs. Once an ADR was confirmed, causality assessment was carried out by using Naranjo's and World Health Organization (WHO) probability scales. Results: Out of 125 patients enrolled, 42 patients developed a total of 53 ADRs. Most common ADR was sedation (28.3%), followed by tremor (15.1%). The drugs responsible for the majority of the ADRs were olanzapine (28.3%), followed by risperidone (13.2%). WHO probability scale revealed that the majority of the ADRs were probable (77.4%) followed by possible (22.6%). According to Naranjo's scale, 52.8% ADRs were found to be possible, and 47.2% were probable. Conclusions: The study has identified various ADRs that were associated with the use of psychotropic drugs. Proper monitoring and early identification can reduce the severity of its outcome. © 2020, Advanced Scientific Research. All rights reserved.