RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Modern antipsychotic drugs: a critical overview JF Canadian Medical Association Journal JO CMAJ FD Canadian Medical Association SP 1703 OP 1711 DO 10.1503/cmaj.1041064 VO 172 IS 13 A1 David M. Gardner A1 Ross J. Baldessarini A1 Paul Waraich YR 2005 UL http://www.cmaj.ca/content/172/13/1703.abstract AB CONVENTIONAL ANTIPSYCHOTIC DRUGS, used for a half century to treat a range of major psychiatric disorders, are being replaced in clinical practice by modern “atypical” antipsychotics, including aripiprazole, clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone and ziprasidone among others. As a class, the newer drugs have been promoted as being broadly clinically superior, but the evidence for this is problematic. In this brief critical overview, we consider the pharmacology, therapeutic effectiveness, tolerability, adverse effects and costs of individual modern agents versus older antipsychotic drugs. Because of typically minor differences between agents in clinical effectiveness and tolerability, and because of growing concerns about potential adverse long-term health consequences of some modern agents, it is reasonable to consider both older and newer drugs for clinical use, and it is important to inform patients of relative benefits, risks and costs of specific choices.