In this review, Stephen Bleakley, Registrar of the College of Mental Health Pharmacy, provides a summary of the principal interactions associated with antipsychotic drugs and discusses strategies to help reduce the risk of such interactions.

Antidepressants are widely used in the general population, primarily to treat depression but also commonly in conditions such as anxiety disorders and neuropathic pain. This article considers the significant pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic drug interactions of different antidepressants, whilst remembering that individual patient characteristics are of utmost importance in the prescribing decision.

Aims and MethodMany studies report prescribing preferences for antipsychotics but few have examined what professionals would choose for themselves if they were diagnosed with schizophrenia. We asked 188 nurses, pharmacists and doctors which antipsychotic they would prefer to be prescribed.ResultsRisperidone (n=49, 26.1%), olanzapine (n=49, 26.1%) and aripiprazole (n=35, 18.6%) were the most popular choices.Clinical ImplicationsProfessionals' choice was in line with the latest evidence on comparative effectiveness of atypical antipsychotics and therefore might be a sensitive indicator of the most effective antipsychotic.

As with previous studies it was not possible to establish a definitive link between clozapine and OCS. Clinicians should be mindful of the common comorbidity of OCS and schizophrenia and the possible increased risk incurred when starting clozapine.

As part of our updated series of articles on the major psychiatric drug groups, produced in association with the College of Mental Health Pharmacy (http://www.cmhp.org.uk), Stephen Bleakley describes the use of antidepressants through a review of the most recent clinical literature. Pharmacology, interactions and side‐effects as well as drug choice and information to give to patients are discussed.