The development of new P2Y12 receptor antagonists such as prasugrel and ticagrelor, which have a more rapid, more potent and less variable antiplatelet effect than clopidogrel, has raised the question of whether it is still necessary to administer glycoprotein-IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitors to high-risk patients with acute coronary syndrome and whether combining the two drug types is safe in terms of bleeding risk. The aim of this article was to provide an up-to-date general overview of what is known about the efficacy of currently available antiplatelet agents, with particular emphasis on interindividual variability in responses to clopidogrel, on the antiplatelet effects of glycoprotein-IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitors and new P2Y12 receptor antagonists, and on the data available on combining the two groups of drugs.