title: A proposed system for classifying psychotropic drugs.
abstract: Most drugs used in psychiatry are classified according to their initial or main therapeutic indications rather than by their pharmacological profiles. A proposed multi-axial, pharmacologically driven nomenclature system that would reclassify existing psychotropic drugs and provide a framework for classifying new drug compounds is described. The five axes of this system would describe a drug's primary pharmacological target and relevant mechanism; relevant neurotransmitter and mechanism; neurobiological activities; efficacy and side effects; and approved indications. The proposed multi-axial system is a common sense but scientifically informed approach for classifying psychotropic drugs that would be practically useful for prescribers, clinicians, and patients.
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Howland
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000145:classification*
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs