Questions to ask when selecting medication

Given the availability of a large and diverse number of medications for the treatment of various mental disorders, how should a clinician decide which medication(s) to try for any particular patient? This article explores eight questions that should be considered when selecting medication for a patient. Medication selection should be individually tailored by the answers to these questions, which take into account factors such as the diagnosis and associated symptoms, the expected efficacy/tolerability profile, medical and psychiatric comorbidity, concurrent drug use, past treatment history, family history, patient/family preferences, and cost considerations.