Schatzberg's Manual of Clinical Psychopharmacology

Book excerpt: Schatzberg's Manual of Clinical Psychopharmacology is a meticulously researched, yet down-to-earth guide for practitioners prescribing psychotropic medications to individuals with psychiatric disorders or symptoms mandating treatment. The ninth edition offers up-to-date information on current drugs, interactions, side effects, and dosing guidelines, and retains the strengths and features that have made it a standard text for trainees and practicing clinicians. The authors also include a new chapter on important developments in laboratory-guided pharmacotherapy, including pharmacogenomic testing, neurocognitive testing, quantitative EEG, and neuroimaging. Although the book's primary purpose is to provide the reader-practitioner with basic and practical information regarding the many classes of psychiatric medications, the authors stress that understanding how to select and prescribe psychotropic medications does not obviate the basic need to comprehensively evaluate and understand psychiatric patients. Accordingly, the book draws on the authors' clinical experience, as well as on the scientific literature, resulting in an accessible, yet rigorous text. Features that have helped cement this book's reputation include: Coverage is not limited to long-standing and newly approved medications, but also includes agents that are likely to receive approval from the FDA in the near future, ensuring that the reader stays up-to-date. References are provided for key statements, and each chapter is then followed by a list of selected relevant articles and books for readers who want to go beyond the material presented, making for a leaner, more reader-friendly guide. Dozens of summary tables with key information on classes of psychotropics function as quick-reference guides, promoting learning and serving as convenient resources for overloaded clinicians. The appendix offers two kinds of suggested readings. The first, for clinicians, is invaluable to trainees, while the second, for patients and families, helps point clinicians to books aimed at a lay audience to supplement information provided to patients. Staying abreast of both new medications and promising treatment protocols is essential in this rapidly evolving field. Schatzberg's Manual of Clinical Psychopharmacology delivers authoritative information in a friendly, collegial style, ensuring that both students and practicing clinicians are equipped to provide a superior standard of care.