Ten principles of good psychotropic drug prescribing

Psychopharmacology is not the sole province of psychiatrists. General practitioners (GPs) should be familiar with the management of common psychiatric conditions, especially anxiety and depression, as most people with these disorders are treated in primary care. Hospital physicians also encounter many patients who are prescribed psychiatric drugs, reflecting the increased prevalence of anxiety and depressive disorders in individuals with chronic medical disorders and the increased prevalence of diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease in people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Psychotropic drugs can cause a wide range of adverse effects that can present to GPs and physicians. This article describes 10 principles of good psychotropic drug prescribing for non-specialists.