EnglishHealth & Medical PsychologyPsychiatry

Editing the Clinical Handbook of Psychotropic Drugs: A Look Behind the Scenes

Since the publication of the first edition of the Clinical Handbook of Psychotropic Drugs in 1989, the editors have attempted to provide clinicians with a comprehensive, current, and practical reference to aid in the prescribing of psychotropic medications.

Our editorial team of experienced clinical pharmacy specialists and psychiatrists track new developments in clinical practice to help clinicians extend the range of treatments they can offer patients, including new preparations and formulations of drugs, or off-label options, such as the use of cannabinoids or ketamine for post-traumatic stress disorder.

When preparing a new edition of the CHPD we strive to make the information accessible and useful for health care professionals in their daily practice. That is why our colleagues love the comparison charts we include, as these are hands-on tools they can use to make clinical decisions, whether selecting the right antidepressant or antipsychotic for a particular patient or identifying alternative treatments when a patient is experiencing too many side effects. One particular table that we hear clinicians often use is the adverse effect comparison chart for the various medications. We often hear of colleagues who actually sit down with patients and a copy of the book CHPD to talk about treatment options.

The 24th edition of the CHPD includes information on new medications, such as

  • The new class of antidepressant – the GABA-A receptor positive modulator – IV brexanolone (Zulresso)
  • The first new medication for ADHD approved by the FDA in over a decade: viloxazine extended-release capsules (Qelbree)

Updated and revised section include:

  • The use of SSRIs in pregnancy,
  • Antidepressant augmentation strategies
  • Antipsychotic dosing in renal and hepatic dysfunction
  • The mood stabilizers chapter

Dosing recommendations, adverse drug reactions and drug interactions have also been updated, as necessary, to ensure compliance with current literature.

While the CHPD spiral-bound book may not fit in your pocket, it is comprehensive, offering an abundance of established information and new ideas for prescribing psychotropic medications. If portability is a priority, an online version of the CHPD is also available.

About the Editors

Ric M. Procyshyn, BScPharm, MSc, PharmD, PhD

He is a clinical research psychopharmacologist at the BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services Research Institute and acts as a consultant for the BC Psychosis Program.

Kalyna Z. Bezchlibnyk-Butler, BScPhm, FCSHP