Course Summary

Loxapine is an antipsychotic that is used for the treatment of patients who have schizophrenia. It is known as a typical antipsychotic with a high-potency effect that is often used in lower doses and titrated to effect. Loxapine has low activity at histamine and muscarinic receptors so anticholinergic effects and sedation are less likely to occur, as compared to antipsychotics with a low-potency effect. Loxapine is not only effective for the treatment of symptoms of schizophrenia but also in cases of bipolar disorder, and for major depressive disorder. Clinicians should aim for a therapeutic dose when prescribing loxapine through routine follow-ups and drug monitoring.

Course Format

Homestudy

Course Syllabus

• Introduction
• Pharmacological Profile
  • Labeled Uses, Dosing, and Forms
  • Dosing Adjustments: Geriatric, Hepatic, Renal
  • US Boxed Warning, Contraindications, and Adverse Events
• Common Precautions
  • Anticholinergic Effects
  • Orthostatic Hypotension
  • Cardiac and Sudden Death
  • Central Nervous System
  • Falls
  • Gastrointestinal
  • Hematologic
  • Thermoregulation
  • Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome
  • Ophthalmic
  • Prolactin Levels
  • Seizure Disorder
  • Pulmonary
  • Venous Thromboembolism
  • Withdrawal/Discontinuation
  • Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
  • Drug-Drug Interactions and Overdose
• Case Study: Loxapine
• Summary

Author

Richard Daniels, PharmD, BCPS

Richard “Cole” Daniels earned his Doctor of Pharmacy(PharmD) from the Skaggs School of Pharmacy at the University of Montana in 2018. Throughout pharmacy school he completed a 3-year internship at Community Medical Center in Missoula, Montana in which he gained valuable experience in an acute care setting. Cole currently serves as a psychiatric clinical staff pharmacist at the Montana State Hospital. He has over 11 years of pharmacy experience having worked in several settings including retail, acute care, and inpatient psychiatric care. Cole has a diverse set of interests. However, acute care medicine, infectious disease, pain management, and asthma/COPD are a primary focus of his at the Montana State Hospital. He obtained board certification as a certified pharmacotherapy specialist in the Spring of 2022.