Choosing an antipsychotic
Clozapine is proven to have superior efficacy to all other conventional and atypical antipsychotics – but its use is limited because of the need for careful monitoring for the serious side effect of agranulocytosis. NICE recommends that all 1st episodes of schizophrenia should be treated with an atypical antipsychotic as 1st choice. In general, choice of antipsychotic depends on side effect profiles.