Biological treatments for obsessive-compulsive and related disorders

• This paper covers the standard medication treatment for OCD.
• We review the management of SSRI treatment in OCD patients.
• We discuss augmentation of SSRI therapy and novel medications.
• Medication treatment for OC related disorders is reviewed.

The availability of evidence based treatments for OCD is a fairly recent development. While this emerging field is an exciting time for those seeking to help individuals with OCD, some aspects of treating OCD can be challenging for today׳s psychiatrist. Often SSRI׳s are used at higher dosages in OCD than in the treatment of other psychiatric illnesses. This often leads to pharmacists, medical review committees and insurance companies to question the therapy, requiring time to advocate for the best treatment. As with any field in which treatment options are evolving, understanding which patients may benefit from emerging medication options, communicating these choices to the patients and families may consume more and more time for the effective psychiatrist. The goal of this review is to guide the reader through the currently available literature for obsessive compulsive and related disorders in order to provide them with the tools to appropriately tailor their pharmacotherapy and, when necessary, advocate for their patients.