Assessment of drugs in schizophrenia. Diagnosis and patient selection.

It would seem that some set of operational definitions are required for the spectrum of psychotic patients often embraced by the rubric schizophrenia. The problems of acute (first-admission) and chronic patients have been described. At the present time 'relapse re-admissions' would seem to constitute the best population for drug evaluations. The importance of factors such as age, sex, ethnics, geography and length of history has been emphasized. Finally the importance of carefully excluding patients who would be at risk from pre-existing disease or hypersensitivity has been emphasized.