The management of schizophrenia in family practice.

While the pattern of treatment for schizophrenia varies from province to province, in the past 20 years there has been a general shift away from treatment in psychiatric hospitals to general hospital psychiatric units. The emphasis is on a shorter hospital stay, and greater use of community resources on discharge. Family physicians are therefore more likely to see their schizophrenic patients soon after an admission or readmission to hospital and will be more directly involved in their on going care. It is important for FPs to be aware of community resources which may help their schizophrenic patients. Resources include outpatient medical clinics where injections of long-acting neuroleptics can be regularly administered; public health nurses and community health workers; patients' families; alternative housing programs; social organizations' volunteer programs and community colleges and retraining programs.