Comprehensive disease management for schizophrenia

This is a period of rapid development in the pharmacotherapy of schizophrenia. New generation antipsychotic medications appear overall to be more efficacious and better tolerated than the older, conventional antipsychotics. Moreover, these atypical antipsychotics appear to have a broader profile of efficacy which likely includes cognitive effects, possibly antiaggressive effects and the potential to reduce comorbid substance abuse in schizophrenia. Future research efforts are aimed at clarifying the relative profile and potentially broader efficacy of each of these drugs. Future clinical and administrative efforts should focus on availability and access to new treatments, the promulgation of 'best practices' and the articulation and implementation of comprehensive care for persons with schizophrenia. (C) 2000 Prous Science.