Can a pharmacist change the molecule of an antidepressant?

Hello Ma'am, thank you for your question!

The short answer is no, your pharmacist/s cannot change the molecule. He/she can, in his/her judgment, suggest alternatives to your doctor to consider a change.

In fact, the class of drugs to which citalopram belongs is known to cause these types of disorders. That being written, escitalopram is in this class as well, and it can cause this disorder as well. It is difficult to establish whether escitalopram causes less than citalopram because they have not been evaluated head-to-head. The studies of each of these 2 drugs were done against placebo, so a direct comparison is difficult.

Before switching agents, consider whether the one you are taking is effective for your symptoms. If it is, there are several options, such as lowering the dose, even if only temporarily, to evaluate whether efficacy can be maintained while reducing side effects.

With that written, I strongly advise you to discuss this with your pharmacist/s, he/she will be able to personalize the consultation and, if necessary, contact your physician with suggestions.

Cordially,

Tom Samaha, pharmacist