Key considerations in choosing an antidepressant

A major challenge facing primary care physicians is to prescribe the most appropriate antidepressant medication for patients with major depression. The relatively recent discoveries of several classes of pharmaceutical agents that alleviate depression has led to a helpful but unwieldy arsenal of antidepressants. Only since the 1990s has there been more rational drug development and focused research of the biologic mechanisms of major depression. The field is currently in transition in the understanding of major depression and the drugs used to treat it. Thus, it is critical to stay up to date with the best therapeutic approach, while remaining flexible as new therapies are developed.