Changes in drug prescription patterns in schizophrenia in five years

Objective: The aim of this retrospective study is to investigate changes in the prescription patterns for inpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1999 and 2004. Method: A total of 1218 inpatient admissions to a general hospital adult psychiatry unit in 1999 and 2004 were examined retrospectively. Total 298 patients (138 in 1999 and 160 in 2004) were diagnosed with schizophrenia according to the criteria of DSM-IV. Demographics and medical data of the patients and the prescribed antipsychotics were reviewed. Chi-square and t-tests were used for statistical analysis. Results: Data showed that typical antipsychotic prescription rate decreased from 53.6% in 1999 to 34.4% in 2004, while the atypical antipsychotic prescription rate increased from 43.5% in 1999 to 54.4% in 2004. Also combined antipsychotic prescription rate (polypharmacy) increased from 11.6% in 1999 to 20% in 2004 and anticholinergic prescription rate decreased from 53.3% in 1999 to 24.4% in 2004. Discussion: The findings of this study confirm the results of previous studies that atypical antipsychotics appear to be displacing typical antipsychotics in the treatment of schizophrenia. It is interesting that antipsychotic combination therapy rates have almost doubled within the period studied and no correlation was found between good drug adherence and the type of antipsychotic used.

Şizofrenide ilaç reçeteleme eğilimindeki değişiklikler

Amaç: 1999 ve 2004 y›llar›nda flizofreni tan›s› ile izlenen yatan hastalarda ilaç reçeteleme e¤ilimlerindeki de¤iflikliklerin geriye dönük olarak incelenmesi amaçlanm›flt›r. Yöntem: 1999 ve 2004 y›llar›nda eriflkin psikiyatri klini¤inde yat›r›larak takip edilen toplam 1218 hastan›n verileri geriye dönük olarak incelenmifltir. 1999 y›l› için 138 ve 2004 y›l› için 160 olmak üzere DSM-IV kriterlerine göre flizofreni tan›s› alan toplamda 298 hasta çal›flma grubunu oluflturmufltur. Hastalar›n demografik ve t›bbi bilgileri ve reçetelenen antipsikotikler gözden geçirilmifltir. ‹statistiksel analiz için ki kare ve t - testleri kullan›lm›flt›r. Bulgular: Bulgular›m›z 1999’da tipik antipsikotik reçeteleme oran› %53.6 iken 2004’te bu oran›n %34.4’e düfltü¤ünü; atipik antipsikotik reçeteleme oran›n›n ise 1999–2004 y›llar› karfl›laflt›r›ld›¤›nda %43.5’den %54.4’e ç›kt›¤›n› göstermifltir. ‹ki dönem karfl›laflt›r›ld›¤›nda kombine antipsikotik reçeteleme oran› %11.6’dan %20’ye ç›karken antikolinerjik reçeteleme oran› %53.3’ten %24.4’e düflmüfltür. Tart›flma: Bu çal›flman›n bulgular› flizofreni tedavisinde atipik antipsikotiklerin tipik antipsikotiklerin yerini ald›¤›n› gösteren çal›flmalar›n sonuçlar›n› destekler niteliktedir. Kombine tedavi oranlar›n›n artmas› ve iyi ilaç uyumunun kullan›lan antipsikotik türü ile iliflkili bulunmam›fl olmas› ilgi çekicidir.