Clinically relevant differences between antipsychotic compounds

All currently available antipsychotic drugs in general clinical use for the treatment of schizophrenia have in common the pharmacological property of dopamine receptor blockade and it is upon this that their anti-psychotic effects are thought to depend. Where they differ is in the spectrum of side effects they may produce, in their clinical profile, in potency, and in time course. Such differences reflect variations in pharmacological properties, both pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic. The substituted benzamides (sulpiride, remoxipride) are highly selective D2 receptor blockers and this pharmacological specificity confers important clinical advantages. In practice the choice of which antipsychotic drug to use in any given clinical situation depends on the degree of psychopathology present, the purpose for which treatment is being given, and the patient's age and general physical health.