Antipsychotic Prescribing Patterns in First-episode Schizophrenia: A Five-year Comparison.
10.9758/cpn.2015.13.3.275
- Author:
Daeyoung ROH
1
;
Jhin Goo CHANG
;
Sol YOON
;
Chan Hyung KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Psychiatry, Hallym University Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Schizophrenia;
Antipsychotic agents;
Polypharmacy;
First-episode;
Antimanic agents
- MeSH:
Antimanic Agents;
Antipsychotic Agents;
Haloperidol;
Hospitals, Psychiatric;
Humans;
Medical Records;
Polypharmacy;
Prescriptions;
Risperidone;
Schizophrenia*;
Aripiprazole;
Quetiapine Fumarate
- From:Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience
2015;13(3):275-282
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: Early treatment choice is critical in first-episode schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. The purpose of this study was to describe prescribing trends of antipsychotics use in patients with first-episode schizophrenia in 2005 and 2010, respectively. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of newly treated patients with schizophrenia from a university psychiatric hospital in 2005 (n=47) and 2010 (n=52). We defined patients as receiving a high antipsychotic dose if their ratio of prescribed daily dose (PDD) to defined daily dose (DDD) was greater than 1.5. RESULTS: The rates of high-dose antipsychotic prescription were 61.7% and 53.8% in 2005 and 2010, respectively. The rates of antipsychotic polypharmacy were 34.6% in 2005 and 34.0% in 2010. The most common first-prescribed antipsychotics were (in descending order of prescription frequency) olanzapine, risperidone, aripiprazole, and haloperidol in 2005 and risperidone, quetiapine, paliperidone, and olanzapine in 2010. High-dose antipsychotics were significantly associated with antipsychotic poly-pharmacy (odds ratio=23.97; p<0.01). More individuals were treated with mood stabilizers in 2010 than in 2005 (p=0.003). CONCLUSION: The practice of prescribing high-dose antipsychotics and associated antipsychotic polypharmacy were common even for initial treatment of first-episode schizophrenia in 2005 and 2010. In 2010, the list of the most common first-prescribed antipsychotics changed, and the use of mood stabilizers increased in non-affective schizophrenia.
