title: Effective dosing and dose equivalency of second-generation antipsychotic medications.
abstract: Dosing patterns with second-generation antipsychotic medications (SGAs) are dynamic, with some SGAs surpassing current recommendations while others are declining in dose since their initial regulatory guidelines. Pertinent recent studies and available pharmacoepidemiologic reports, information, and expert consenses are reviewed herein to illuminate current thinking on the topic of dosing with SGAs. There is a need for fixed-dose studies of each SGA. Additionally, dosing should be a primary consideration when designing and subsequently interpreting comparative studies between SGAs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA 30912, USA. pbuckley@mail.mcg.edu
authors.forename: Peter F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Buckley
mesh_terms: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000145:classification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006801:Humans; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents