Rational pharmacotherapy and clinical practice guidelines Theories and perspectives on implementing pharmacotherapeutic treatment guidelines

Several theories behind implementing clinical guidelines have been described within the literature. At first sight, these may seem different. However, there are similarities and eventually they are rather complementary than mutually exclusive. This article integrates several theoretical views on implementation of pharmacotherapeutic treatment guidelines and subsequently addresses some empirical considerations. Furthermore, specific limitations and potential harms of implementating guidelines are addressed. Several checklists are provided in order to make pharmacists, pharmacologists and clinicians aware of perspectives on dissemination, implementation, and subsequent application of pharmacotherapeutic treatment guidelines.