Discussion WK 3

· Review the patient intake documentation, psychiatric history, patient file, medication history, etc. As you progress through each section, formulate a list of questions that you might ask the patient if he or she were in your office.

· Based on the patient’s case history, consider other people in his or her life that you would need to speak to or get feedback from (i.e., family members, teachers, nursing home aides, etc.).

· Consider whether any additional physical exams or diagnostic testing may be necessary for the patient.

· Develop a differential diagnoses for the patient. Refer to the DSM-5 in this week’s Learning Resources for guidance. 

· Review the patient’s past and current medications. Refer to Stahl’s Prescriber’s Guide and consider medications you might select for this patient.

· Review the posttest for the case study.

Post a response to the following:

· Provide the case number in the subject line of the Discussion thread.

· List three questions you might ask the patient if he or she were in your office. Provide a rationale for why you might ask these questions.

· Identify people in the patient’s life you would need to speak to or get feedback from to further assess the patient’s situation. Include specific questions you might ask these people and why.

· Explain what physical exams and diagnostic tests would be appropriate for the patient and how the results would be used.

· List three differential diagnoses for the patient. Identify the one that you think is most likely and explain why.

· List two pharmacologic agents and their dosing that would be appropriate for the patient’s antidepressant therapy based on pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. From a mechanism of action perspective, provide a rationale for why you might choose one agent over the other.