The role of long-acting antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia with comorbid drug use. The case of paliperidone palmitate

Abstract

The patient suffering a schizophrenic disorder with a comorbid drug use is a challenge for the technical team of psychiatrists who provide to control this disorder. In some guides that include a revision of the efficacy of several psychopharmacological and/or psychological treatment shows that there any treatment has no efficacy in this group of patients. But it suggests that long-acting antipsychotic may play a role in some cases with no adherence. We study prospectively some data in a group of patients of these characteristics treated with paliperidone palmitate as main psychopharmacological treatment, using as measurements of outcome the number of psychiatric admissions, dosage of oral treatment, use of drug before and after the beginning of Paliperdione Palmitate. Our results show that it exists a decrease of number of admissions, dosage of oral concomitant treatment and drug use, with a very good adherence and no dropouts in the follow-up. We conclude that Paliperidone Palmitate may be a very good alternative for the psychopharmacological treatment in schizophrenic patients with comorbid drug use.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.