Considerable progress has been made during the past 10 years in the treatment of schizophrenia; however, the disease still represents a great challenge for the clinician. Frequently encountered problems include the patient who is only partially responsive to treatment or is treatment resistant and long-term relapse prevention. Patient compliance, long-term efficacy, drug dose, safety, and the duration of treatment are all important factors determining the degree of success of maintenance treatment in the prevention of relapse. This review discusses those aspects that should affect the clinicians' choice of treatment, including the recent introduction of atypical antipsychotics such as clozapine.