Case scenario

Emma is a 24-year-old paramedic who presents to your pharmacy with a prescription for paroxetine 20 mg daily and lorazepam 1 mg PRN for anxiety. She also requests a Fluvax. While you are giving Emma her flu shot, she mentions recent sudden anger and mood swings. She says she was actually in London last year at the height of the pandemic and witnessed her neighbour and one of her colleagues die. It took her months to get a flight home and she was all alone. Emma starts to cry and apologises. 

Learning objectives

After successful completion of this CPD activity, pharmacists should be able to:

  • Describe the risk factors for developing post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Describe the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Discuss the management of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Competency Standards (2016) addressed: 1.1, 1.4, 1.5, 2.2, 3.1, 3.5

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Introduction

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) first became a household name when it entered the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) in 1980. This was as a result of the large number of veterans returning from the Vietnam War who were experiencing what was first termed ‘Post-Vietnam Syndrome’. Earlier conflicts had coined terms such as ‘shell shock’, ‘soldier

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