The usual route for Chlorpromazine is by mouth, although the drug can be taken intramuscularly if it is specifically administered for psychosis or severe psychosis. The usual maintenance dose by mouth is 200 mg/day, although the initial dose is 10-25 mg increased in 20-25 mg increments every 3-4 days until the symptoms are under control. While taking Chlorpromazine, it is important to make sure that each dose is taken on time so that no overdose occurs. In the event that a dose is accidentally missed, a double dose should not be taken to make up for the missed dose. Instead, Chlorpromazine should be taken as soon as the missed dose is remembered. If the time for the next scheduled dose is soon, then the drug should be taken at the scheduled time instead and resumed for each dosage afterwards (Deglin, Hopfer, and Vallerand, …show more content…
Abrams, Anne Collins, and Carol Barnett Lammon book Clinical Drug Therapy: Rationales for Nursing Practice lists some considerations. Monitor the patient for signs and symptoms of NMS, input and output of urine for dehydration, and blood pressure and heart rate frequently during treatment (Abrams, Collins, Barnett, 144-182). Zubenko, George S., and Trey Sunderland write in Geriatric Psychopharmacology: Why Does Age Matter? some geriatric considerations. For geriatric patients, absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion varies. Absorption of Chlorpromazine can be altered due to issues such as dysphagia, or digestion issues such as increased pH and decreased gastric emptying. The increase of body fat found among the elderly allows the drug to a greater volume of distribution throughout the body. An increased peak and steady state of plasma levels is also evidenced due to decreased metabolism. A decreased renal clearance also leads to a longer half-life of antipsychotics among the elderly (Zubenko, George S., Sunderland,