[Basis of prescribing antipsychotics].

ABSTRACT

After the introduction of novel antipsychotic agents to Japanese clinical settings, the goal of treating patients suffering from schizophrenia has changed from response to recovery. However, there is a situation we, clinicians occasionally face, in which the standardized medication with novel antipsychotic monotherapy does not work well. So we have to consider the medication with older antipsychotic agents because we cannot give up treating patients even though there are no convincing evidences which support augmentation therapy with a conventional antipsychotic. Now we are at the age of combining the evidence and the experience to construct the practical strategy of treating schizophrenia.