Effective dosing and dose equivalency of second-generation antipsychotic medications.

Dosing patterns with second-generation antipsychotic medications (SGAs) are dynamic, with some SGAs surpassing current recommendations while others are declining in dose since their initial regulatory guidelines. Pertinent recent studies and available pharmacoepidemiologic reports, information, and expert consenses are reviewed herein to illuminate current thinking on the topic of dosing with SGAs. There is a need for fixed-dose studies of each SGA. Additionally, dosing should be a primary consideration when designing and subsequently interpreting comparative studies between SGAs.