Perphenazine is a typical antipsychotic medication belonging to the phenothiazine class, primarily used in the treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and severe anxiety. It works by blocking dopamine D2 receptors in the brain, helping to reduce psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and agitation. Developed in the 1950s during the early era of modern psychopharmacology, perphenazine emerged as part of efforts to improve on earlier phenothiazines, offering potent antipsychotic effects with a relatively lower sedative profile. Its introduction represented a major advance in psychiatric care, allowing for better management of severe mental illnesses in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Over the decades, perphenazine has been widely used not only for psychotic disorders but also for nausea and vomiting in certain cases, reflecting its versatile pharmacological profile. Despite the advent of newer atypical antipsychotics, it remains an important option in resource-limited settings due to its efficacy, affordability, and well-understood side effect profile.
