Long-acting Injectable Antipsychotics Research Articles

Praktyka preskrypcyjna w zakresie leków przeciwpsychotycznych w schizofrenii w latach 2013–2018 na podstawie danych Narodowego Funduszu Zdrowia

The aim of the study was to analyse the prescribing pattern of antipsychotic drugs in patients with schizophrenia during the years 2013-2018. Schizophrenia is analysed as one of the diseases with the highest rate of Disability-Adjusted Life Years - DALY. In this study, the unitary data of the National Health Fund (NFZ) reported in the years 2013-2018 were used. Adult patients were identified by their Personal Identification Number (PESEL), and the antipsychotics were identified by the European Article Number (EAN). The study included 209,334 adults who were diagnosed with F20 to F20.9 (according to ICD-10) and were prescribed at least one antipsychotic within a year. The active substances of prescribed antipsychotic medication have been divided into typical (first generation), atypical (second generation) and long-acting injectable antipsychotics (both first and second generation). The statistical analysis contains descriptive statistics for selected sections. A linear regression, one-way analysis of variance and t-test were used in the study. All statistical analyses were performed using R, version 3.6.1 and Microsoft Excel. In the years 2013-2018, the number of patients in the public sector diagnosed with schizophrenia increased by 4%. The largest increase was recorded among persons diagnosed with other schizophrenia (F20.8). In the analysed years, the number of patients who were prescribed second-generation oral antipsychotics increased significantly as well as the number of patients who were prescribed long-acting antipsychotics, especially the secondgeneration agents (risperidone LAI, olanzapine LAI). The most prescribed first-generation antipsychotics included: perazine, levomepromazine and haloperidol with a downward trend for each; and the most common second-generation drugs included: olanzapine, aripiprazole and quetiapine. A noteworthy finding was an extremely high increase in the frequency of prescribing haloperidol in the form of depot. Extending the study to include information on applied prescriptive practice in the private sector would provide a fuller picture of the studied phenomenon.

Barriers to managing bipolar I disorder with long-acting injectable antipsychotics

Barriers to managing bipolar I disorder with long-acting injectable antipsychotics

A Literature Review on the Efficacy of Injectable Neuroleptics in the Treatment of Schizophrenia

Introduction: Schizophrenia is a chronic brain disorder of which the cause is unknown. This disorder affects less than one percent of the population and involves symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, disorganization, and negative symptoms. Treatment for schizophrenia is mainly used to alleviate symptoms of schizophrenia, therefore improving their quality of life. Injectable neuroleptics are frequently used in patients with schizophrenia to prevent relapses attributed to nonadherence. This literature review will examine the current and potential future uses of injectable neuroleptics as a treatment for individuals with schizophrenia. Methods: This literature review was assembled using the PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct databases to evaluate the efficacy of injectable neuroleptics for individuals with schizophrenia. Keywords for the search include: “neuroleptics”, “schizophrenia”, “risperidone”, “aripiprazole,” “clozapine”, “long-acting injections”, “treatment”, “clinical trial” as well as additional related keywords. Results: In all of the RCTs identified in the reviewed studies, clozapine was considered the most effective in alleviating symptoms associated with schizophrenia although it did not affect the progression of the disorder. Discussion: The literature discussing various injection neuroleptics has been shown to be safe and effective in treating symptoms of schizophrenia but has not been proven to be effective in the slowing of the progression of schizophrenia. As such, future research in this area would be beneficial to the scientific community. Given the limited number of studies, additional research is needed to assess the efficacy of long-acting injectable antipsychotics in slowing the progression of the disorder. One possible research avenue would involve the examination of a combination therapy of both injectable and oral neuroleptic treatments. Conclusion: Long-acting injectable antipsychotics have been shown to be effective in alleviating many of the debilitating symptoms for individuals with schizophrenia. Further studies are needed to evaluate the most effective method of treating the progression of this disorder, such as combination therapy using both injectable as well as oral antipsychotics.

Tardive Dyskinesia and Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics: Analyses Based on a Spontaneous Reporting System Database in Japan.

Objective: This study compared the reporting frequency of tardive dyskinesia (TD) between long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAI-APs) and the equivalent oral antipsychotics (O-APs), LAI first-generation antipsychotics (LAI-FGAs) and LAI second-generation antipsychotics (LAI-SGAs), and individual LAI-APs.Methods: The Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report was used in this study, and data were obtained from April 2004 to February 2021. Patients who received LAI-APs available in Japan (LAI haloperidol, LAI fluphenazine, LAI aripiprazole, LAI risperidone, and LAI paliperidone) or the equivalent O-APs were included in this study. We calculated the adjusted reporting odds ratios (aRORs) to compare the reporting frequency of TD.Results: A total of 8,425 patients were included in the study. TD was reported significantly less frequently with LAI paliperidone than with oral paliperidone (aROR [95% confidence interval (CI)] = 0.13 [0.05-0.36]). Other LAI-APs were associated with a numerically lower reporting frequency of TD than the equivalent oral SGAs. The reporting frequency of TD associated with LAI-SGAs was significantly lower than that of LAI-FGAs (aROR [95% CI] = 0.18 [0.08-0.43]). All LAI-SGAs were significantly associated with a lower reporting frequency of TD than that of LAI fluphenazine (aROR [95% CI]: LAI aripiprazole, 0.11 [0.04-0.35]; LAI risperidone, 0.09 [0.03-0.32]; LAI paliperidone, 0.02 [0.005-0.09]). and LAI haloperidol, 8.58 [1.85-39.72]). LAI fluphenazine was significantly associated with a higher reporting frequency of TD than LAI haloperidol (aROR [95% CI] = 8.58 [1.85-39.72]). The reporting frequency of TD associated with LAI paliperidone was significantly lower than that with LAI aripiprazole (aROR [95% CI] = 0.18 [0.05-0.73]).Conclusions: Compared to O-APs, LAI-APs, particularly LAI-SGAs, may be associated with a lower risk of TD.

Attitudes and perceptions about the use of long-acting injectable antipsychotics among behavioral health practitioners.

IntroductionLong-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAI-As) are important tools for the treatment of schizophrenia, yet they appear to be underutilized. This study will assess practitioner perceptions of LAI-As to elucidate reasons for underuse and uncover new avenues to increase appropriate use.MethodsAn anonymous electronic survey was developed and actively distributed to behavioral health care practitioners (MD, DO, PA, NP, PharmD, RN, LCSW). Independent t testing and linear regression analysis was used to assess for interactions between survey responses and individual factors.ResultsA total of 146 survey responses were collected from September 3, 2020 to March 17, 2021. On average, participants thought that LAI-As were slightly underutilized in practice. The mean estimated patient acceptance rate for LAI-A therapy was 38.6% ± 29.5% (range = 0%-100%). Participants who were <40 years of age and those with a psychiatric pharmacist at their practice site had significantly higher estimated acceptance rates. The highest-rated barriers to LAI-A use were related to negative patient attitudes, lack of patient education, and access issues (eg, transportation, cost). Respondent characteristics including age, gender identity, geographic location, practice setting, and the presence of a psychiatric pharmacist significantly influenced the perceived impact of these barriers.DiscussionBehavioral health practitioners generally believed that LAI-As were underused, and only one-third of their patients would be accepting of the therapy. Several barriers were perceived as frequently impacting LAI-A use, but these were reduced by the presence of a psychiatric pharmacist. Understanding practitioner perceptions can assist with increasing the use of LAI-As.

Effectiveness of Paliperidone Palmitate on Treatment Adherence and Relapse in the Adult Schizophrenia Population: A One-Year Mirror-Image Study in a Colombian Mental Health Care Facility

IntroductionThe benefits of long-acting injectable antipsychotics have been documented in several observational studies, but data remain scarce in Latin America. This study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of paliperidone palmitate once monthly (PP1M) on treatment adherence and relapse in the schizophrenia population followed in a government-funded mental health care facility in Colombia. MethodsA mirror-image study was conducted. Adult schizophrenia patients treated with oral antipsychotics who subsequently received ≥2 PP1M injections between Jan. 1st, 2015 and Oct. 31st, 2018 were included. The study consisted of two retrospective phases: 12 months before and after the first PP1M injection. Outcomes were treatment adherence (proportion of days covered ≥80%), hospitalized relapse, hospital length of stay, and non-hospitalised relapse. Effect of PP1M on outcomes was assessed through multivariable conditional Poisson regression. Results123 patients were eligible (mean age, 30.3 years; 79.7% males). Adherence was 23.6% in the pre-phase and 89.4% in the post-phase (RR=3.77; 95%CI, 2.75-5.17). The proportion of patients with hospitalised relapse decreased from 46.3% to 35.0% (RR=0.76; 95%CI, 0.59-0.99). In the 75 (61.0%) patients who continued PP1M throughout post-phase, beneficial effect on hospitalised relapse was stronger (RR=0.64; 95%CI, 0.42-0.98). The proportion of patients with non-hospitalised relapse symptoms increased from 6.5% to 18.7% (RR=2.27; 95%CI, 1.11-4.64). ConclusionsPP1M initiation led to a dramatic improvement in treatment adherence and a decrease in hospitalised relapse. Observed increase in non-hospitalised relapse may be explained by a decrease in severity. Limitations are absence of a parallel comparison group and a generalisability limited to the population treated at this facility. Study provides data for the Latin America region and strength is the assessment of non-hospitalised relapse symptoms.

Association of Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics and Oral Antipsychotics With Disease Relapse, Health Care Use, and Adverse Events Among People With Schizophrenia

Evidence for improved clinical outcomes with long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIAs) vs oral antipsychotics (OAs) is limited in Asian populations and special patient groups, including older people (>65 years), people with substance use, and early initiators of LAIAs. To compare the risk of disease relapse, health care use, and adverse events associated with the use of LAIAs vs OAs among people in Hong Kong with schizophrenia. In this self-controlled case series study, individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia who were prescribed LAIAs and OAs between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2019, were identified from the Clinical Database Analysis and Reporting System of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority. Data analysis was conducted from May to August in 2021. Use of LAIAs vs OAs. Risk of disease relapse (hospitalizations for psychiatric disorders, hospitalizations for schizophrenia, and suicide attempts), health care use (all-cause emergency department visits and hospitalizations), and adverse events (hospitalizations for somatic disorders, hospitalizations for cardiovascular diseases, and extrapyramidal symptoms) between the period in which patients were treated with LAIAs and the period in which patients were treated with OAs were compared using Poisson regression. Of the 70 396 individuals with schizophrenia (37 200 women [52.8%]; mean [SD] age, 44.2 [15.8] years), 23 719 (33.7%) were prescribed both LAIAs and OAs. Compared with OAs, LAIAs were associated with a lower risk of hospitalizations for any cause (n = 20 973; incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.63 [95% CI, 0.61-0.65]), hospitalizations for psychiatric disorders (n = 19 283; IRR, 0.52 [95% CI, 0.50-0.53]), hospitalizations for schizophrenia (n = 18 385; IRR, 0.53 [95% CI, 0.51-0.55]), and incident suicide attempts (n = 1453; IRR, 0.56 [95% CI, 0.44-0.71]). During full treatment with LAIAs, there was a reduction in hospitalizations for somatic disorders (n = 15 396; IRR, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.85-0.91]), hospitalizations for cardiovascular diseases (n = 3710; IRR, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.81-0.96]), and extrapyramidal symptoms (n = 22 182; IRR, 0.86 [95% CI, 0.82-0.91]) compared with full treatment with OAs. No significant difference was found for emergency department visits. Similar associations were observed during the subsequent treatment periods (beyond 90 days) and among older people and those with substance use, except for an increased risk of extrapyramidal symptoms among older people when initiating LAIAs (first 90 days). Compared with late initiators, early LAIA initiators had a greater reduction in these outcome events. This self-controlled case series study of people in Hong Kong with schizophrenia suggests that LAIAs were associated with a lower risk of disease relapse and hospitalization than OAs, without an increased risk of adverse events. Clinicians should more broadly consider the long-term use of LAIAs for Chinese people with schizophrenia, especially early in the course of illness.

Readmissions, costs, and duration to subsequent outpatient visit after hospital discharge among Medicaid beneficiaries utilizing oral versus long-acting injectable antipsychotics in bipolar disorder or schizophrenia

Background Long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) may reduce hospitalizations versus oral formulations (OAP) in bipolar disorder (BP) and schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder (SCZ), but the impact on time to outpatient follow-up is less understood. Objectives To assess hospital readmissions and medical costs among Medicaid beneficiaries with BP or SCZ utilizing OAP or LAI SGAs. Methods Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses utilized comprehensive administrative claims of Oklahoma Medicaid beneficiaries (≥18 years) with BP or SCZ between 01/01/2013-12/31/2017. Readmissions, total direct medical costs, and psychiatry-related outpatient visits were assessed via generalized linear models and generalized estimating equations, controlling for demographic and clinical covariates. Results Among 2,523 included members, LAI utilization was associated with 1.50 and 1.73 times higher odds of any hospitalization and any readmission, respectively (p < 0.05). Cases involving both BP and SCZ were associated with a 2.40 times higher odds of any readmission, 2.26 times higher number of readmissions, and 24.5% higher costs (p < 0.001). Of the 468 members with a subsequent psychiatry-related outpatient visit, LAIs were associated with a 23.9% shorter duration to outpatient visit and 16.4% lower costs (p < 0.05). Conclusion In contrast to prior studies, this real-world investigation noted higher hospitalizations and readmissions among LAIs relative to OAP medications, but among members with a hospitalization or ED visit, LAIs were associated with shorter durations to outpatient visits and lower costs. People with diagnoses of both BP with SCZ had higher odds of any readmission, number of readmissions, and costs relative to those with bipolar disorder alone and may be a key target for interventions.

Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics (LAIs) Prescribing Trends during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Romania.

Long acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) are considered the ideal treatment for schizophrenia, especially for young patients with high rates of non-adherence. In the current COVID-19 pandemic, it has been reported that the administration of LAIs decreased in some areas. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the initiation of LAIs. This is a retrospective mirror- image study covering a total period of 24 months: 12 months before and 12 months after the declaration of COVID-19 pandemic on March 11, 2020. During the study period, out of 218 patients admitted with schizophrenia, only 15 (1.3%) received LAIs at discharge. There was a 48.3% reduction in LAIs initiation compared to the pre-pandemic period (29 LAIs initiations in 2019 from 224 admissions). Despite the 27% reduction in the total number of admissions (1500 in 2019 vs. 1100 in 2020), the number of admissions with schizophrenia remained almost the same (224 in 2019 vs. 218 in 2020). COVID-19 pandemic brought an important challenge in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia, especially in the initiation of LAIs. This could have an important impact on the relapse rate in the next period.

Effectiveness of More Personalized, Case-Managed, and Multicomponent Treatment for Patients with Severe Schizophrenia Compared to the Standard Treatment: A Ten-Year Follow-Up.

Case management is a model of personalized intervention in people with severe mental illness. To explore the treatment adherence and effectiveness of patients with severe schizophrenia (Clinical Global Impression Severity, CGI-S ≥ 5) undergoing treatment in a community-based, case-managed program (CMP) with an integrated pharmacological and psychosocial approach compared with the standard treatment, an observational, ten-year follow-up study was conducted on patients treated in mental health units (MHUs) or a CMP (n = 688). Treatment discontinuation, hospitalizations, suicide attempts, and antipsychotic (AP) medications were recorded. Clinical severity was assessed with the CGI-S. Adherence to the CMP was higher than adherence to standard treatment (p < 0.001). There were fewer hospitalizations and suicide attempts in the CMP (p < 0.001). The clinical severity decreased more in the CMP (p < 0.005). Long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotic medication was more closely related to these outcomes than oral antipsychotics (APs) were (p < 0.001). Patients with severe schizophrenia in an integrated CMP recorded higher treatment compliance and better outcomes compared with standard care. Treatment with LAI APs was linked to these outcomes. A personalized combination of case management and LAI AP medication was more effective in these patients than standard treatment and oral APs.

Health resource utilization and cost before versus after initiation of second-generation long-acting injectable antipsychotics among adults with schizophrenia in Alberta, Canada: a retrospective, observational single-arm study

BackgroundLong-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics, along with community treatment orders (CTOs), are used to improve treatment effectiveness through adherence among individuals with schizophrenia. Understanding real-world medication adherence, and healthcare resource utilization (HRU) and costs in individuals with schizophrenia overall and by CTO status before and after second generation antipsychotic (SGA)-LAI initiation may guide strategies to optimize treatment among those with schizophrenia.MethodsThis retrospective observational single-arm study utilized administrative health data from Alberta, Canada. Adults (≥ 18 years) with schizophrenia who initiated a SGA-LAI (no use in the previous 2-years) between April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2016, and had ≥ 1 additional dispensation of a SGA-LAI were included; index date was the date of SGA-LAI initiation. Medication possession ratio (MPR) was determined, and paired t-tests were used to examine mean differences in all-cause and mental health-related HRU and costs (Canadian dollars), comprised of hospitalizations, physician visits, emergency department visits, and total visits, over the 2-year post-index and 2-year pre-index periods. Analyses were stratified by presence or absence of an active CTO during the pre-index and/or post-index periods.ResultsAmong 1,211 adults with schizophrenia who initiated SGA-LAIs, 64% were males with a mean age of 38 (standard deviation [SD] 14) years. The mean overall antipsychotic MPR was 0.39 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.36, 0.41) greater during the 2-year post-index period (0.84 [SD 0.26]) compared with the 2-year pre-index period (0.45 [SD 0.40]). All-cause and mental health-related HRU and costs were lower post-index versus pre-index (p < 0.001) for hospitalizations, physician visits, emergency department visits, and total visits; mean total all-cause HRU costs were $33,788 (95% CI -$38,993, -$28,583) lower post- versus pre-index ($40,343 [SD $68,887] versus $74,131 [SD $75,941]), and total mental health-related HRU costs were $34,198 (95%CI -$39,098, -$29,297) lower post- versus pre-index ($34,205 [SD $63,428] versus $68,403 [SD $72,088]) per-patient. Forty-three percent had ≥ 1 active CTO during the study period; HRU and costs varied according to CTO status.ConclusionsSGA-LAIs are associated with greater medication adherence, and lower HRU and costs however the latter vary according to CTO status.

Understanding the Health System Conditions Affecting the Use of Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics in the Treatment of Schizophrenia in Clinical Practice: A US Healthcare Provider Survey.

PurposeTo describe factors that enable the routine use of long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) for appropriate patients in the current clinical practice, including changes in LAI prescribing due to the COVID-19 pandemic and expectations for prescribing in 2021 in the United States (US).MethodsFrequent LAI prescribers recruited from a nationwide panel in 2020 completed an online survey regarding practice characteristics, perspectives on healthcare system conditions enabling routine use of LAIs, and prescribing patterns and changes in patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic.ResultsOf 408 prescribers who completed the survey, 77.7% were physicians and 59.1% had ≥10 years of psychiatry practice. More than half of frequent prescribers (57.1%) reported treating >20% of their patients with schizophrenia with LAIs. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) guideline was followed by 64.0% of prescribers. Most prescribers identified poor adherence to antipsychotics as a circumstance when LAIs are recommended (94.9%) and patient/caregiver involvement in treatment decisions as a key factor impacting the decision to prescribe LAIs (97.3%). Most prescribers reported that LAI prescribing rates were unchanged in 2020 (59.8%). Similar proportions of prescribers expected no change (44.1%) or an increase (42.9%) in LAI prescribing rates in 2021. The number of patients followed, cost of treatment, and availability of staff to administer LAIs were the main driving factors identified by prescribers expecting an increase in LAI prescribing rates.ConclusionLAIs were commonly recommended to patients with poor adherence, and patient/caregiver involvement was an important factor affecting prescribers’ treatment decisions. LAI prescribing rates remained unchanged during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The effect of objectively collected medication adherence information on bipolar I and major depressive disorder treatment decisions: A randomized case vignette study of psychiatric clinicians

• In the absence of credible medication adherence data, prescribers were more likely to confound medication nonadherence and nonresponse. • In the presence of credible adherence data, prescribers were more likely to prescribe LAI formulations. This effect was much stronger for those treating BD than those treating MDD. • The difference in prescribing decisions between to those exposed to credible information and those relying solely upon patient and collateral self-report illustrate the challenges associated with assessing adherence when psychiatric symptoms are not well controlled. Adherence to antipsychotic medications is critical for treatment and relapse prevention in serious mental illness. Accurate assessment of medication adherence can be difficult, clinicians frequently overestimate patient adherence, and new accurate methods assessing medication adherence are needed. This study estimated the influence of antipsychotic medication adherence information on clinician treatment decisions among patients with bipolar I (BD) and major depressive (MDD) disorders. This study was a cross-sectional, random assignment survey of psychiatric clinicians who prescribe medication for the treatment of BD and/or MDD. Clinicians ( N = 180) were recruited using national association lists and were presented with either BD or MDD case vignettes that described symptoms, level of functioning, and self-reported medication adherence. Cases were randomly assigned to vignettes that presented subjective (self-report) or objective adherence (from refill rates and MEMS caps data) information. Respondents were asked to recommend adjustments in medication regimen. A total of 180 clinicians participated. In the BD arm ( N = 90), participants were primarily female (55.5%), and specialized in psychiatry (97.8%). In the MDD arm ( N = 90), participants were primarily female (64.4%) and specialized in psychiatry (98.9%). The BD arm was more likely to modify antipsychotic treatment as opposed to mood stabilizers and the MDD arm was more likely to modify antidepressant treatment as opposed to antipsychotic prescriptions. Among vignettes indicating non-adherence, cases that reviewed objective adherence data were more likely to adopt medication adherence enhancing interventions including long-acting injectable antipsychotics. As expected, the rate of LAI choice overall was greater for cases reviewing BD compared to those reviewing MDD vignettes. This study utilized a convenience sample and synthetic vignettes. The survey response arrays do not cover the full array of treatment options available to all clinicians. These data suggest the presence of objective adherence data may help clinicians distinguish between medication nonresponse and medication nonadherence as illustrated by the relationship between the presence of objective adherence information and selection of treatment modifications.

Bipolar bozukluk tip I hastalarının tedavisinde uzun etkili antipsikotiklerin klinik kullanımı

Purpose: This study aims to determine the usage frequency of long-acting injectable antipsychotics among bipolar disorder type 1 patients who presented to the Dicle University Faculty of Medicine Psychiatry and Mental Health outpatient clinic, the clinical characteristics of these patients, and the preferences of clinicians about these agents. &#x0D; Materials and Methods: Our study included 111 patients older than 18 years old with bipolar disorder. The ’data of the patients were retrospectively obtained from electronic data records. The data were recorded in the data collection form prepared by the researchers with the support of the literature. &#x0D; Results: The rate of the patients who used long-acting injectable antipsychotics was 21.6%. Among the patients who used long-acting injectable antipsychotics, the rate of those who used second-generation long-acting injectable antipsychotics was 58.3%, and the most frequently preferred agent was paliperidone palmitate. The patients who were using long-acting injectable antipsychotics had significantly higher rates of not working and numbers of hospitalizations.&#x0D; Conclusion: Our results showed that long-acting injectable antipsychotics are preferred by clinicians in our outpatient clinic in the later stages of bipolar disorders and for patients with poor drug compliance, poor functionality, and more hospitalizations. Starting long-acting injectable antipsychotics in the early stages of bipolar disorders, even following the first attack, may increase treatment compliance, reduce the duration of hospitalization, and contribute to the functionality of patients.

Prescribing patterns of long-acting injectable antipsychotics in a community setting in South Africa.

BackgroundLong-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAI – APs) improve adherence to antipsychotics and decrease functional decline in schizophrenia. Yet they are prescribed late, in patients with established functional decline. Although LAI – APs are widely prescribed in South Africa, there is a paucity of research regarding the prescription profile for LAI – APs.AimThis study aimed to describe prescribing practices for LAI – APs at psychiatric clinics.SettingCommunity psychiatric clinics in South Africa.MethodsA retrospective review of the psychiatric files of all patients on LAI – APs attending the clinics over the study period was conducted. Sociodemographic, clinical and pharmacological information regarding the LAI – AP prescribed was extracted from the files.ResultsA total of 206 charts were examined. The mean age of the study population was 46 (SD ± 12) years. Significantly more patients were male (n = 154; 74.8%), single (n = 184, 89.3%) and unemployed (n = 115; 55.8%) (p < 0.001). Approximately half had a comorbid substance use disorder (47.6%). The most common indication for the prescription of a LAI – AP was non-adherence (66%). Only 9.7% of the patients were prescribed a LAI – AP alone. No significant socio-demographic or clinical characteristic was associated with this prescribing habit. A LAI – AP was prescribed in combination with an oral antipsychotic, mood stabiliser or antidepressant in 53.9%, 44.7% and 7.8% of patients, respectively.ConclusionLong-acting injectable antipsychotics were prescribed mainly following noncompliance with oral antipsychotics and may represent a missed opportunity to prevent functional decline. The high prevalence of LAI – AP polypharmacy has been highlighted.

Off–label long acting injectable antipsychotics in real–world clinical practice: a cross-sectional analysis of prescriptive patterns from the STAR Network DEPOT study

IntroductionInformation on the off–label use of Long–Acting Injectable (LAI) antipsychotics in the real world is lacking. In this study, we aimed to identify the sociodemographic and clinical features of patients treated with on– vs off–label LAIs and predictors of off–label First– or Second–Generation Antipsychotic (FGA vs. SGA) LAI choice in everyday clinical practice.MethodIn a naturalistic national cohort of 449 patients who initiated LAI treatment in the STAR Network Depot Study, two groups were identified based on off– or on–label prescriptions. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to test several clinically relevant variables and identify those associated with the choice of FGA vs SGA prescription in the off–label group.ResultsSGA LAIs were more commonly prescribed in everyday practice, without significant differences in their on– and off–label use. Approximately 1 in 4 patients received an off–label prescription. In the off–label group, the most frequent diagnoses were bipolar disorder (67.5%) or any personality disorder (23.7%). FGA vs SGA LAI choice was significantly associated with BPRS thought disorder (OR = 1.22, CI95% 1.04 to 1.43, p = 0.015) and hostility/suspiciousness (OR = 0.83, CI95% 0.71 to 0.97, p = 0.017) dimensions. The likelihood of receiving an SGA LAI grew steadily with the increase of the BPRS thought disturbance score. Conversely, a preference towards prescribing an FGA was observed with higher scores at the BPRS hostility/suspiciousness subscale.ConclusionOur study is the first to identify predictors of FGA vs SGA choice in patients treated with off–label LAI antipsychotics. Demographic characteristics, i.e. age, sex, and substance/alcohol use co–morbidities did not appear to influence the choice towards FGAs or SGAs. Despite a lack of evidence, clinicians tend to favour FGA over SGA LAIs in bipolar or personality disorder patients with relevant hostility. Further research is needed to evaluate treatment adherence and clinical effectiveness of these prescriptive patterns.

EE27 Comparing Alternative Paliperidone Formulations for Relapse Prevention in Patients with Schizophrenia: A Cost-Utility Analysis

Discontinuation or poor adherence to antipsychotics in patients with schizophrenia may lead to relapses. Compared with daily administered antipsychotics (e.g., paliperidone extended-release (ER)), long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAI) can improve medication adherence, resulting in a lower risk of relapse. Paliperidone palmitate, a new form of LAI, can be administered monthly (PP1M), three monthly (PP3M), or six-monthly (PP6M). While proven effective in improving compliance, the economic value of administering this high-cost treatment is unknown.

HSD89 Impact of Race on Utilization of First Vs Second Generation Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics Among Medicaid Beneficiaries with Schizophrenia

Differential treatment patterns by race for mental health services for individuals with schizophrenia (SCZ), including disparities in antipsychotic prescription patterns, have been reported. This study assessed differences in utilization of first generation (FG) vs second generation (SG) long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) between Black and White Medicaid enrollees with SCZ and examined factors associated with FG vs SG LAI initiation, including race.

RWD92 Adherence Advantages of Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics (LAIS) in Schizophrenia. Is the Currently Available Real-World Evidence Adequate or Conclusive?

To review and outline the status of current Real-World Evidence (RWE) demonstrating adherence advantages and effectiveness of LAIs in schizophrenia treatment.

Comparative effectiveness of mood stabilizers and antipsychotics in the prevention of hospitalization after lithium discontinuation in bipolar disorder

The aim of the study was to compare the real-world effectiveness of mood stabilizers and antipsychotics in the prevention of psychiatric hospitalizations and treatment failure after lithium discontinuation in a nationwide bipolar cohort. Using health-care registers, we identified everyone in Finland diagnosed with bipolar disorder during 1987–2018 who discontinued lithium after using it for at least one year (n = 4 052, median period of lithium use before discontinuation 2.7 years). The risk of psychiatric hospitalization and treatment failure (psychiatric hospitalization, death or change in medication) were investigated with within-individual Cox regression. Of mood stabilizer monotherapies, the periods of valproate use (HR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.71 – 0.97) had lower risk of hospitalization than nonuse of mood stabilizers. Of antipsychotic monotherapies, the use of long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics (HR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.26 – 0.88) and chlorprothixene (HR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.44 – 0.88) were associated with lower risk and the use of quetiapine (HR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.07 – 1.48) and oral olanzapine (HR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.01 – 1.49) with higher risk of psychiatric hospitalizations than nonuse of antipsychotics. Of mood stabilizer monotherapies, lithium use was associated with lower risk of treatment failure (HR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.76 – 0.88) than valproate use. The results suggest that antipsychotic LAIs are especially effective in the prevention of psychiatric hospitalizations after lithium discontinuation. The need to alter used medications may be the lowest when lithium is restarted.