MissMuffet said:
I tend to think the same thing with regard to the latter, Poety.
But some doctors do not always tell about the side effects or emphasize just how slowly some meds need tapered off. Especially GPs and OB-Gyns who rx psychotropics.
And the number of people who somehow aren't cluing in even when they are told seems to be a problem. What can be done about that? I have no idea. It seems the drug info pharmacies provide these days should be adequate, but perhaps they could be better?
What about the role of the pharmacist? I've had some who spend a few minutes going over and highlighting the info sheet for even the most innocuous drugs. Is that always good or bad? Too much to ask?
Again, I honestly don't know. Just seems like it could be an interesting discussion. 🙂
Miss Muffett - I have not had a physician or any other prescriber for that matter (dentists too!) in the last 10 years who have not given sufficient information for their patients with regard to the medication prescribed. I know that because when I talk to patients about their new prescriptions, I ask what their prescriber told them. Now...I work in a very urban, metropolitian CA area, but I don't think our practices across the country are that far off. In addition, with antidepressants, prescribers (psychiatrists or otherwise) are very careful to explain the drugs due to the potential of side effects or change in illness. They also monitor closely, particulary at the beginning of therapy, during dose or drug changes or during tapering (I can tell - I have no refills on the rx!)
As for my practice - as a pharmacist - I can tell you exactly what I do & what the law requires me to do, especially with these medications. That does not mean I am obligated nor should I explain everything that is possible that particular drug can do to a patient (as Solid so eloquently put it). However, I am careful to cover how they take the medication (or the taper in this case), what side effects to look for, what legal precautions to take (drinking/driving) & to call with questions.
However, the IMO, the biggest obstacle for patient understanding is the patient himself/herself. They may hear the same information from me, their physcian, read it in the written information we are obligated to provide with EVERY refill and they still will claim they were not informed.
This is not unique to psych patients - most every patient, IMO, who is discharged from an inpatient stay in a hospital is barraged with information. It takes time to sink it - sometimes they'll recall what they were told, sometimes not. Thats why we get called frequently for patients who have recent diagnoses and new medications and we go over the instructions, the side effects/cautions, their concerns & I'm sure physicians field the same calls. Its always nice to have someone else, a family member or SO who can hear instructions, but that is not always the case.
The concern is when the patient no longer wants to have their physician in the loop - they want to get their drug information from me (& I am not able to give the information in the context of their illness) or worse yet, from the internet. Then...you get folks like the OP who seek to do their own adjusting when the illness perhaps is not as amenable to self adjusting as others may be (think - diabetics who adjust their insulin dose based on blood sugar).
Pharmacists will always be available to give information in the generic sense, however, we realize how complex the process is, especially when medication is only one aspect of treatment. So although we will offer reassurance, we will consistently refer the patient back to the prescriber so the prescriber is aware and can adjust therapy. A message board, internet, written material is never a replacement for a prescriber-patient relationship.
Feel free to pose questions or make comments in the dental forums. I have nothing against it. 
