Table 1.

Models of drug action

Disease-centred model	Drug-centred model
Drugs correct an abnormal brain state	Drugs create an altered physiological state
Drugs as medical treatments	Drugs as psychoactive substances
Beneficial effects arise from the drugs’ action on the underlying disease process	Beneficial effects are a consequence of being in an altered, drug-induced state
Therapeutic effects can be distinguished from side effects	Some effects may be more useful than others