Reducing variation in the pharmacologic treatment of schizophrenia: defining acceptable standards of treatment

Abstract

Clinicians are exhorted to improve the quality of care for patients with schizophrenia by applying evidence-based medication treatment guidelines. Unfortunately, although there are many guidelines, they are all more or less out of date, and their recommendations often are inconsistent, leaving clinicians uncertain about the definition of acceptable standards of care. This paper reviews existing guideline recommendations and recently published research related to two parameters of care: 1) first-line treatment of multiepisode psychosis and 2) the care of treatment-resistant patients. Its purpose is to help clinicians understand the implications of the latest research for the content of schizophrenia guidelines and for the clinical practice they are supposed to inform.