Abstract
Antipsychotic medications are primarily used to manage various symptoms of psychosis. In recent years, more adults-and teenagers-are taking at least one type of psychotropic medication, the majority of which are prescribed by primary care and family physicians. Because nurses are now caring for people of varying ages, and with varying diagnoses, who are taking these types of medications, they need to develop a working knowledge of the agents available and know when it's appropriate to prescribe them for mental health disorders as well as for disorders unrelated to mental health. This article is the first in a series on commonly used psychotropic medications.