The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) has launched a new online resource center to provide medical professionals with vital information on medications that are associated with an increased risk of suicide.

Safety reports have linked suicidal thoughts and behaviors to a number of drugs, most notably antidepressants and anticonvulsants. The Medications and Suicidality Resource Center features the ASHP Listing of Drugs associated with an Increased Risk of Suicidality, a quick reference to more than 75 medications. The list, culled from the National Library of Medicine's DailyMed website, also serves as a reference list for The Joint Commission's recently issued Sentinel Event Alert on Suicide.

The resource center also features information on potential causes, epidemiology, risk factors, prevention, and management of drug-induced depression from the chapter on depression in ASHP's reference, Drug-Induced Diseases: Prevention, Detection, and Management (2nd edition). Practitioners can also keep track of recent updates and advisories issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The site was created by the staff of ASHP's federally recognized drug compendium AHFS Drug Information, a widely respected source of drug information for more than 50 years.

Source:
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)