Psychiatric Formulary
A managed list of approved psychotropic medications available within a hospital or health system for use in emergency psychiatric settings.
Full Definition
A psychiatric formulary is an institution-specific, regularly reviewed list of medications sanctioned for prescribing in a given clinical environment. In emergency psychiatry, the formulary governs which antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, mood stabilisers, and adjunctive agents clinicians may prescribe. Editors reviewing medication-related documentation — including order sets, protocols, and clinical pathways — should verify that drug names match the facility's formulary and that generic versus brand-name conventions are applied consistently. Formulary restrictions directly affect rapid tranquilisation protocols and standing order sets.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish 'formulary' from 'pharmacopoeia' (a broader official reference compendium). Also note that 'non-formulary' is a compound adjective and should be hyphenated as such.
In Context
- "The protocol was revised to reflect the updated psychiatric formulary, replacing haloperidol with olanzapine as the first-line intramuscular agent." — Clinical protocol document
- "When editing the order set, confirm each medication name against the current psychiatric formulary before publication." — Editorial style guidance