OBJECTIVE: Investigators compared patient characteristics and antipsychotic use patterns between individuals with schizophrenia treated in usual care with first-generation depot antipsychotics and those treated with oral antipsychotics (first- or second-generation or both). METHODS: Analyses used data from the U.S. Schizophrenia Care and Assessment Program, a large, prospective study of treatment for schizophrenia conducted July 1997 through September 2003. Participants were assessed at enrollment and every six months thereafter with patient self-report, validated psychiatric measures, and systematic extraction of medical records. Individuals treated with a first-generation depot antipsychotic at any time during the three-year study (N=569) were compared with those treated with only oral antipsychotics (N=1,617) on characteristics at enrollment and medication use pattern during the year after enrollment. RESULTS: Compared with patients receiving only oral antipsychotics, participants treated with depot medications (haloperidol or fluphenazine decanoate) were more likely to be African American (p<.001); less likely to be a veteran (p=.005); had more psychiatric hospitalizations in the year before enrollment (p<.001); and were more likely to have been arrested (p<.001), to use alcohol and illicit substances (p<.001), and to show higher psychopathology, particularly psychotic symptoms and disorganized thinking (p<.01 for both). In the year after enrollment, participants treated with depot medications had a high mean medication possession ratio (91%), and most of the medication regimens (68%) were augmented with oral antipsychotics for prolonged durations (median of 144 days). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with schizophrenia treated with first-generation depot antipsychotics differed from those treated with only oral antipsychotics. Findings suggest that first-generation depot antipsychotics might address some unmet needs of a unique subgroup of patients with schizophrenia.
OBJECTIVE: Investigators compared patient characteristics and antipsychotic use patterns between individuals with schizophrenia treated in usual care with first-generation depot antipsychotics and those treated with oral antipsychotics (first- or second-generation or both). METHODS: Analyses used data from the U.S. Schizophrenia Care and Assessment Program, a large, prospective study of treatment for schizophrenia conducted July 1997 through September 2003. Participants were assessed at enrollment and every six months thereafter with patient self-report, validated psychiatric measures, and systematic extraction of medical records. Individuals treated with a first-generation depot antipsychotic at any time during the three-year study (N=569) were compared with those treated with only oral antipsychotics (N=1,617) on characteristics at enrollment and medication use pattern during the year after enrollment. RESULTS: Compared with patients receiving only oral antipsychotics, participants treated with depot medications (haloperidol or fluphenazine decanoate) were more likely to be African American (p<.001); less likely to be a veteran (p=.005); had more psychiatric hospitalizations in the year before enrollment (p<.001); and were more likely to have been arrested (p<.001), to use alcohol and illicit substances (p<.001), and to show higher psychopathology, particularly psychotic symptoms and disorganized thinking (p<.01 for both). In the year after enrollment, participants treated with depot medications had a high mean medication possession ratio (91%), and most of the medication regimens (68%) were augmented with oral antipsychotics for prolonged durations (median of 144 days). CONCLUSIONS:Patients with schizophrenia treated with first-generation depot antipsychotics differed from those treated with only oral antipsychotics. Findings suggest that first-generation depot antipsychotics might address some unmet needs of a unique subgroup of patients with schizophrenia.
Authors: Katarina Kelin; Alan Jm Brnabic; Richard Newton; Raúl I Escamilla; Liang-Jen Chuo; Malina Simu; Wenyu Ye; William Montgomery; Jamie Karagianis; Haya Ascher-Svanum Journal: Patient Prefer Adherence Date: 2010-09-07 Impact factor: 2.711
Authors: Taishiro Kishimoto; Sohag Sanghani; Mark J Russ; Akeem N Marsh; Joshua Morris; Suparna Basu; Majnu John; John M Kane Journal: Int Clin Psychopharmacol Date: 2017-05 Impact factor: 1.659
Authors: Haya Ascher-Svanum; Xiaomei Peng; Douglas Faries; William Montgomery; Peter M Haddad Journal: BMC Psychiatry Date: 2009-07-29 Impact factor: 3.630