Jan Jaracz1, Edyta Tetera-Rudnicka2, Dominika Kujath3, Agnieszka Raczyńska3, Sebastian Stoszek4, Wojciech Czernaś5, Piotr Wierzbiński6, Adam Moniakowski7, Krystyna Jaracz8, Janusz Rybakowski9. 1. Department of Adult Psychiatry, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland. Electronic address: jjjaracz@gmail.com. 2. Psychiatric Ward, "Zdroje" Hospital, Szczecin, Poland. 3. The Province Hospital for the Nervously and Mentally Ill, "Dziekanka", Gniezno, Poland. 4. The Province Hospital for the Nervously and Mentally Ill, Cibórz, Poland. 5. Psychiatric Ward, District Hospital, Złotów, Poland. 6. Department of Adult Psychiatry, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland. 7. Psychiatric Ward, 105th Military Hospital, Żary, Poland. 8. Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Nursing, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland. 9. Department of Adult Psychiatry, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The term antipsychotic polypharmacy (APP) refers to the concurrent use of two or more antipsychotic drugs in schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to investigate the range of APP in schizophrenic patients discharged from psychiatric units in Poland, and to determine its demographical and clinical correlates. METHODS: Data on the pharmacological treatment of 207 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, discharged from six psychiatric hospitals from September-December 2011 were recorded by experienced psychiatrists. Clinical and demographical information was obtained on each patient. The severity of symptoms at admission, and their improvement during hospitalization were assessed using the Clinical Global Impression Scale. RESULTS: At discharge, 52.7% of the patients were prescribed one, 42.5% two and 4.8% three antipsychotic drugs (AP). When two AP were applied, it was usually a combination of two second generation antipsychotics (SGA) (46%), or of both first generation antipsychotics (FGA) and SGA (48%). The SGA's olanzapine and risperidone were those most commonly prescribed. Patients treated with two or more AP had a higher number of previous hospitalizations than patients receiving antipsychotic monotherapy. Mood stabilizers were prescribed for nearly one third of the patients, while antidepressants and benzodiazepines were prescribed for fewer than 10%. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of polypharmacy in Poland is similar to that reported in other countries. This may suggest that, in a substantial proportion of schizophrenic patients clinical response to the antipsychotic monotherapy is unsatisfactory. Further studies focusing on the efficacy and safety of strategies in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia not responding to antipsychotic monotherapy are necessary.
BACKGROUND: The term antipsychotic polypharmacy (APP) refers to the concurrent use of two or more antipsychotic drugs in schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to investigate the range of APP in schizophrenicpatients discharged from psychiatric units in Poland, and to determine its demographical and clinical correlates. METHODS: Data on the pharmacological treatment of 207 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, discharged from six psychiatric hospitals from September-December 2011 were recorded by experienced psychiatrists. Clinical and demographical information was obtained on each patient. The severity of symptoms at admission, and their improvement during hospitalization were assessed using the Clinical Global Impression Scale. RESULTS: At discharge, 52.7% of the patients were prescribed one, 42.5% two and 4.8% three antipsychotic drugs (AP). When two AP were applied, it was usually a combination of two second generation antipsychotics (SGA) (46%), or of both first generation antipsychotics (FGA) and SGA (48%). The SGA's olanzapine and risperidone were those most commonly prescribed. Patients treated with two or more AP had a higher number of previous hospitalizations than patients receiving antipsychotic monotherapy. Mood stabilizers were prescribed for nearly one third of the patients, while antidepressants and benzodiazepines were prescribed for fewer than 10%. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of polypharmacy in Poland is similar to that reported in other countries. This may suggest that, in a substantial proportion of schizophrenicpatients clinical response to the antipsychotic monotherapy is unsatisfactory. Further studies focusing on the efficacy and safety of strategies in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia not responding to antipsychotic monotherapy are necessary.
Authors: Ana M Gaviria; José G Franco; Víctor Aguado; Guillem Rico; Javier Labad; Joan de Pablo; Elisabet Vilella Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-10-01 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Anna Michalczyk; Justyna Pełka-Wysiecka; Jolanta Kucharska-Mazur; Michał Wroński; Błażej Misiak; Jerzy Samochowiec Journal: Ann Gen Psychiatry Date: 2020-06-17 Impact factor: 3.455