Toward a classification of medications for sleep and circadian rhythm disorders

Abstract

While some systems classify medications according to therapeutic class, others are based on the mechanism of action of the drugs. The two main classifications of medications used to treat patients in the United States are those of the United States Pharmacopeia and US Food and Drug Administration, and they vary in their organization of the medication categories. Here we propose a taxonomy for medications used to treat sleep and circadian rhythm disorders based on symptoms and disorders.

Keywords:

• circadian
• sleep
• taxonomy
• classification
• diagnosis

Acknowledgments

Editorial support through inVentiv Medical Communications, New York, was provided by Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.