Overcoming challenges in the management of schizophrenia

The authors discuss the impact of the recently available 'atypical' antipsychotic drugs on the management of people with schizophrenia. The better tolerability of the atypical agents, compared with conventional antipsychotics, should encourage their use as first-line therapy and therefore increase the acceptability of early intervention strategies. Tailoring treatment to the individual by appropriate selection of an atypical agent should facilitate the establishment of a productive, long-term therapeutic alliance and could achieve greater concordance between doctors and patients. Atypical antipsychotic drugs enable an improvement in management strategies which should contribute to a better outcome for patients with schizophrenia.