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Antidepressant discontinuation — GPhC CRA MCQ

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ModeratePatient Counselling and Pharmaceutical CareAntidepressant discontinuationGPhC CRA

A patient taking paroxetine for a year wants to stop immediately because they feels better. They asks whether to miss doses every other day. What would you advise the patient?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

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Correct answer: B — Discuss gradual prescriber-led withdrawal to reduce symptoms

Paroxetine is associated with discontinuation symptoms if stopped abruptly. A gradual, supervised taper is usually preferred. In this scenario, the correct option is discuss gradual prescriber-led withdrawal to reduce symptoms. The other options are plausible but do not address the key clinical, legal or safety issue as directly. This aligns with UK pharmacy practice guidance cited in the reference field.

Reference: BNF; NICE CKS