A formal framework of knowledge to support rational psychoactive drug selection.

Rational psychoactive drug selection is a data and knowledge intensive task which requires true expertise from clinical, pathophysiological and pharmacotherapeutic knowledge. This paper presents a framework of knowledge, which relates concepts from several disciplines required for psychoactive drug selection in a formal way. A framework, when based on formal semantics, avoids ambiguity and gives conceptual clarity and supports precise use of terminology which is required when many domain experts (clinicians, pharmacologists and basic science researchers) are involved. A formal framework permits linking of existing classification systems. It furthermore can serve as a knowledge base for drug selection decision support systems.