ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses donepezil, a neuropsychotropic drug. It presents the approved indications of the drug for neuropsychological disorders, usual dosage and administration, available dosage forms, storage, and compatibility, and the mechanism of action. Information on relative contraindications, clinically significant drug interactions, adverse drug reactions, and overdosage is also provided. Sold under the trade name Aricept®, donepezil is prescribed for mild to moderate dementia of the Alzheimer’s type. Donepezil appears to enhance cholinergic function among patients who have this disease by inhibiting the metabolic degradation of the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. This inhibition of acetylcholine degradation, in turn, increases the concentration of acetylcholine at its sites of action along the cholinergic neuronal pathways. Donepezil pharmacotherapy has been commonly associated with diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
