Library · Prescribing

Medication cheat sheets

One printable page per drug class. The same seven columns in the same order on every sheet, then a step-by-step decision path for the class. 86 medications, 15 sheets, 39 pages.

Topic

All 15 sheets

Antidepressants 5

SSRIs, SNRIs, the atypical and novel agents, tricyclics and MAOIs, with the depression path, the switching and stopping path and the augmentation path.

SSRIs Sertraline, escitalopram, fluoxetine, citalopram, paroxetine, fluvoxamine. Decision path (Depression: step by step). 2 pages · 6 medications Library SNRIs Venlafaxine, duloxetine, desvenlafaxine, levomilnacipran. Decision path (Switching and stopping antidepressants). 2 pages · 4 medications Library Atypical and novel antidepressants Bupropion, mirtazapine, trazodone, vortioxetine, vilazodone, nefazodone, dextromethorphan-bupropion, esketamine. Decision path (Augmenting an antidepressant: choose by what is left). 3 pages · 8 medications Library TCAs Nortriptyline, amitriptyline, imipramine, desipramine, clomipramine, doxepin. Decision path (Starting and managing a tricyclic). 3 pages · 6 medications Library MAOIs Phenelzine, tranylcypromine, selegiline patch. Decision path (MAOIs: start, switch and stay safe). 2 pages · 3 medications Library

Antipsychotics and mood stabilizers 3

Second- and first-generation antipsychotics and the five mood stabilizers, with the schizophrenia, bipolar and movement side effect paths.

Second-generation antipsychotics Aripiprazole, brexpiprazole, cariprazine, lumateperone, lurasidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, clozapine, asenapine, iloperidone, risperidone, paliperidone, ziprasidone, pimavanserin, xanomeline-trospium. Decision path (Schizophrenia: step by step). 4 pages · 15 medications Library First-generation antipsychotics Haloperidol, chlorpromazine, perphenazine, fluphenazine. Decision path (Movement side effects, step by step). 2 pages · 4 medications Library Mood stabilizers Lithium, lamotrigine, divalproex, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine. Decision path (Bipolar disorder: step by step). 3 pages · 5 medications Library

Anxiety and sleep 3

Benzodiazepines, the sleep medicines, and the non-benzodiazepine anxiolytics and adjuncts.

Benzodiazepines Lorazepam, alprazolam, clonazepam, diazepam, temazepam, chlordiazepoxide. Decision path (Benzodiazepines: choose, limit and taper). 3 pages · 6 medications Library Sleep medications Zolpidem, eszopiclone, zaleplon, suvorexant, ramelteon, doxepin, trazodone. Decision path (Insomnia: step by step). 3 pages · 7 medications Library Non-benzodiazepine anxiolytics and adjuncts Buspirone, hydroxyzine, gabapentin, pregabalin, propranolol, prazosin. Decision path (Anxiety disorders: step by step). 3 pages · 6 medications Library

ADHD 2

Stimulants and non-stimulants, with the ADHD path and the comorbidity path.

ADHD stimulants Methylphenidate, dexmethylphenidate, amphetamine, lisdexamfetamine. Decision path (ADHD: step by step). 2 pages · 4 medications Library ADHD non-stimulants Atomoxetine, viloxazine, guanfacine, clonidine. Decision path (ADHD plus another problem: matching the drug). 2 pages · 4 medications Library

Addiction medicine and other agents 2

Alcohol, opioid and tobacco medicines, and the wakefulness, cognition and dopamine agents.

Addiction medicine Naltrexone, acamprosate, disulfiram, buprenorphine, methadone, varenicline. Decision path (Alcohol, opioid and tobacco use: choosing a medication). 3 pages · 6 medications Library Wakefulness, cognition and dopamine agents Modafinil, armodafinil, memantine, pramipexole. Decision path (Fatigue, sleepiness, low drive and memory: step by step). 2 pages · 4 medications Library

How to read a sheet

Every page follows the same seven columns, so once you have used one sheet you can read them all. A strip across the top gives the facts true of the whole class, and a strip across the bottom gives the rules that save the most trouble.

  1. Medication
  2. When to choose
  3. Mechanism
  4. Dosing
  5. Key side effects
  6. Key interactions
  7. Patient education

The last page of each sheet is a decision path: the steps to take, the checkpoints between them, and the situations that change the plan. 15 paths cover depression, switching and stopping, augmenting, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, anxiety, insomnia, benzodiazepines, addiction medicine and more.

A look inside

Every sheet is a landscape Letter PDF made to print, with the legal notice and sources on each page.

The SSRI sheet: seven columns, the same on every page
The SSRI sheet: seven columns, the same on every page
The decision path that goes with it: depression, step by step
The decision path that goes with it: depression, step by step
A denser class, split across three pages
A denser class, split across three pages
Bipolar disorder, step by step
Bipolar disorder, step by step

What these are, and what they are not

What they are

  • A quick reference for licensed prescribers, organized by class.
  • Built from the current FDA labels (checked October 2026) and the Psychofarm prescribing guides, with the sources on every sheet.
  • Meant to be printed, pinned up or kept open during a visit.

What they are not

  • Not a full prescribing reference. Always check the label, the interactions and the patient before you prescribe.
  • Not a course, and not continuing education.
  • Not a substitute for your own training and judgment. Doses and cautions are simplified.

Educational content only. These sheets are a quick reference for licensed clinicians. They are not medical advice and not a prescribing reference. Check the label before you prescribe.