TEXAS MEDICATION ALGORITHM PROJECT - DEFINITIONS, RATIONALE, AND METHODS TO DEVELOP MEDICATION ALGORITHMS

Background: The Texas Medication Algorithm Project (TMAP), a public-ac ademic collaborative effort, is a 3-phase project to develop, implemen t, and evaluate medication treatment algorithms for public sector pati ents with schizophrenia, major depressive disorders, or bipolar disord ers. Discussion: This paper, the first in a series describing the acti vities of the TMAP, focuses on the various definitions and reasons why guidelines have gained popularity. Also discussed are their strengths , the limitations of the various methods used to develop them, and pot ential barriers to their implementation.