Drug abuse has become a globalized problem that poses a major threat to human survival and development, and has attracted great attention from governments of all countries. Drug abuse refers to the repeated and heavy use of dependent drugs by the user in a way that is not related to the medical purpose, using its euphoric effect to produce relaxation and pleasure, thus gradually generating a desire for and dependence on the drug, resulting in mental disorders and abnormal behavior due to lack of self-control, which often leads to serious consequences. Psychotropic drugs are drugs that act directly on the central nervous system, causing excitement or inhibition, and can produce dependence with continuous use. These drugs have obvious duality, on the one hand, they have a strong sedative effect and are essential for medical treatment, but at the same time, they are easy to produce dependence if used continuously in an irregular manner, and become drugs if they flow into illegal channels, causing serious social harm. According to the International Convention on Psychotropic Substances, the medical and scientific value of psychotropic substances is fully recognized; the abuse of these substances generates public health, social and economic problems; strict control measures must be taken and limited to medical and scientific applications; and international cooperation is needed to coordinate relevant actions. The Convention requires States parties to limit the availability of such drugs; those who need them must have a physician’s prescription; to control their packaging and advertising; to establish monitoring and licensing systems; to establish evaluation and statistical systems for their rational medical and scientific applications, and to restrict trade in such drugs; to report relevant information to the United Nations drug control agencies; and to strengthen national management and take effective measures to reduce drug abuse. In order to strengthen the management of psychotropic substances in China, the State Council promulgated the “Measures for the Administration of Psychotropic Substances” in 1988, which clearly stipulates the production, supply, use, transportation, import and export management of these drugs. According to Article 38 of the Regulations on the Administration of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, medical personnel shall use narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in accordance with the clinical application guidelines formulated by the competent health department of the State Council. Commissioned by the Ministry of Health, the Chinese Medical Association, the Chinese Hospital Association Professional Committee of Pharmacy Management and the Chinese Pharmaceutical Society Hospital Pharmacy Professional Committee organized relevant experts to draft the “Guidelines for the Clinical Application of Psychotropic Substances”. The Guidelines for Clinical Application of Psychotropic Substances selects psychotropic substances commonly used in clinical practice from the list of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances jointly published by the State Food and Drug Administration, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Health in 2005, and makes provisions in terms of indications, application principles, methods of use, cautions and contraindications, adverse reactions and precautions to guide medical personnel in the rational use of psychotropic substances in clinical treatment. Psychotropic drugs.