Changing patterns of neuroleptic dosage over a decade.

A study of patterns of neuroleptic dosage for 206 schizophrenic inpatients showed significant differences over time and among three centers--a general hospital psychiatric unit, a community mental health center, and a state hospital. In 1982 patients' mean dose at discharge was higher than the peak mean daily dose in 1973, and high-potency neuroleptics were being used almost exclusively. The mean length of stay decreased from 49 days in 1973 to 34 days in 1982. The possible relationship, if any, between increasing dosage, decreased length of stay, and the switch from low-potency to high-potency neuroleptics remains undetermined.