GOOD MEDICAL-PRACTICE IN ANTIPSYCHOTIC PHARMACOTHERAPY

Schizophrenia requires a comprehensive treatment programme that augmen ts pharmacotherapy, such as antipsychotic drugs, with psychological (e ducation) and social (rehabilitation) therapies. Antipsychotic drugs, however, are still fundamental in the treatment of schizophrenia. When administered correctly, these drugs not only reduce psychotic symptom s but can also prevent relapse, which prevents hospitalization and fac ilitates psychosocial re-integration. Unfortunately, the type of drug and dosing schedule used are often inappropriate. The antipsychotic dr ug prescribed should be decided on an individual patient basis accordi ng to the experiences the patient has had with previous treatments. Ch oosing the right drug is a key to improving compliance and treatment o utcome, Additionally, antipsychotic drugs should be prescribed at an e arly stage, in order to increase the likelihood of a favourable treatm ent outcome, and for long enough to reduce the risk of relapse. The ef ficacy and tolerability of antipsychotic drugs have been studied exten sively, and treatment guidelines have now been developed, in particula r from the Bruges Consensus Conference and the American Psychiatric As sociation, to optimize the diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia. T he use of novel antipsychotics, which have better therapeutic and safe ty profiles than traditional antipsychotics, together with educational programmes should improve compliance with antipsychotic drugs and thu s improve treatment outcomes for schizophrenic patients. Treatment str ategies to be used at the various stages of schizophrenia have been re commended, together with preferred options for managing lack of respon se or side effects. Int Clin Psychopharmacol 13 (suppl 3):S35-S41 (C) 1998 Lippincott-Raven Publishers.