NICE guidance “a real victory” for people with schizophrenia

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has recommended the more widespread use of atypical antipsychotic drugs for patients with schizophrenia on the grounds that they have fewer side effects and are as effective as the older drugs commonly prescribed for the condition.

Releasing its recommendations after a year long review of over 200 trials, the institute said that older antipsychotic drugs (such as chlorpromazine and haloperidol) were associated with a higher incidence of extrapyramidal side effects (such as parkinsonism, acute dystonic …