ABSTRACT
The following drugs may be considered promising lead compounds in that they all have been shown to be efficacious with respect to one or more outcome criteria: nalmefene, gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), and tiapride. Similarly, disulfiram still must be considered an efficacious drug. However, before any of these compounds can be fully recommended for the pharmacotherapy of alcohol dependence, a number of issues (e.g., amount of supporting clinical evidence, harmful or prohibitive adverse effects) must be resolved. In comorbid depressive alcohol-dependent patients, the SSRI fluoxetine increased percent abstinent days; lithium’s efficacy depended on compliance and on plasma lithium levels >0.4 mmol l
. Buspirone may prove its efficacy in comorbid anxious patients if tested in a larger sample. The pharmacotherapy of alcoholism should always be part of a comprehensive therapeutic approach, comprising psychotherapeutic, sociopsychiatric, and nonpsychiatric medical support as well.
