Prozac [fluoxetine hydrochloride] is commonly regarded as a first-line therapeutic medication for adolescents due to its supposedly better risk ratio than other antidepressants (Meeker, et al., 2015; Capitao, et al., 2015). It is also currently the most commonly used among selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) active ingredients, more than sertraline, escitalopram, venlafaxine (Wagner, 2015).
However, its link to suicide cannot be ignored; or to birth defects and low libido (Naish, 2013). Despite the euphoria over it, a dampening cloud can be felt in the background. Is it worth risking adverse effects with Prozac? Is the risk for death or deteriorated mental condition worth the promises marketers make about it?
The medication is also prone to abuse, especially in locations where patients have no alternative therapeutic options other than pharmacological therapy, and perhaps even self-medication. In Brazil, Prozac has been abused in the treatment of depression among older adults, oftentimes as an all-purpose medication amidst psychosocial problems, inadequate social support, and limit access to adequate psychiatric services (Wagner, 2015). Especially among the elderly people whose activities had been cut down to a minimum far less than they used to do during their active years, inadequate and unsatisfactory social support can bring them into bouts of depression, anxiety, and meaninglessness or lack of purpose.
This paper attempts to understand Prozac, its known psychopharmacological effects, its indications, its advantages and disadvantages as a psychopathological therapy, and its efficacy. The aim is to provide a wider understanding of this highly popular and top-selling antidepressant in the global markets. However, there will be no attempt to create a comprehensive and complete profile of the product beyond what is available in the limited sources, primary and secondary, selected for this paper. Nonetheless, it will attempt to present both the positive and the negative outcomes from research and clinical reports.
