Schizophrenia is a chronic and debilitating illness characterized by behaviors that markedly impair social and occupational functioning. Atypical antipsychotic medications have greatly improved outcomes for patients with these psychiatric disorders. Unfortunately, many patients do not respond adequately to therapy because of treatment-limiting adverse events, (AEs) which also limit therapeutic adherence. It is now widely accepted that the “real-world” clinical effectiveness of an atypical antipsychotic depends on its safety and tolerability as much as its efficacy. A number of clinical studies have shown that certain atypical antipsychotics are associated with unwanted sedation and a significant risk of weight gain, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. The risk of hyperprolactinemia is also significantly elevated with some atypical antipsychotics. To minimize the risk of adversely impacting overall patient health, each patient's metabolic and cardiovascular risk profile, as well as the potential impact of sedation on his or her quality of life, should be evaluated before beginning therapy and regularly thereafter.J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc, 2007; 13(S5), S23-S28. DOI: 10.1177/1078390307299810
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