Psychiatry Research
Volume 144, Issue 2 , Pages 177-189, 15 November 2006

Treatment adherence among patients with schizophrenia treated with atypical and typical antipsychotics

  • Frank D. Gianfrancesco

      Affiliations

    • HECON Associates, Inc., 9833 Whetstone Drive, Montgomery Village, MD 20886, United States
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +1 301 963 5661; fax: +1 301 990 7641.
    • ,
  • Krithika Rajagopalan

      Affiliations

    • AstraZeneca, Wilmington, DE, United States
    • ,
  • Martha Sajatovic

      Affiliations

    • Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and University Hospitals of Cleveland, United States
    • ,
  • Ruey-hua Wang

      Affiliations

    • HECON Associates, Inc., 9833 Whetstone Drive, Montgomery Village, MD 20886, United States

Received 29 August 2005; received in revised form 6 January 2006; accepted 8 February 2006.

Abstract 

This study evaluated treatment adherence among patients with schizophrenia receiving atypical and typical antipsychotics. Claims data for 7017 treatment episodes of commercially insured patients with schizophrenia (ICD-9-CM) receiving antipsychotics, covering the period from January 1999 through August 2003, were assessed. Overall adherence was evaluated by adherence intensity (medication possession ratio) and treatment duration (length of treatment episode). Pair-wise comparisons of the individual atypicals and a combined group of leading typical antipsychotics were undertaken using multiple regression, adjusting for differing patient characteristics. Each atypical antipsychotic demonstrated a significantly higher adherence intensity than the combined typicals, while quetiapine demonstrated a significantly greater adherence intensity than risperidone and olanzapine. None of the atypicals showed treatment durations significantly different from the typicals. While the small improvements in adherence intensity among atypical agents do not appear to be clinically important, they may reflect an underlying, stronger tendency to use filled prescriptions.

Keywords: Schizophrenic disorders, Antipsychotic agents, Prescription claims data, Medication possession ratio

To access this article, please choose from the options below

Login to an existing account or Register a new account.

  • Purchase this article for 31.50 USD (You must login/register to purchase this article)

    Online access for 24 hours. The PDF version can be downloaded as your permanent record.

  • Subscribe to this title

    Get unlimited online access to this article and all other articles in this title 24/7 for one year.

  • Claim access now

    For current subscribers with Society Membership or Account Number.

  • Visit SciVerse ScienceDirect to see if you have access via your institution.
 

PII: S0165-1781(06)00031-X

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2006.02.006

Psychiatry Research
Volume 144, Issue 2 , Pages 177-189, 15 November 2006

Article Tools

* Image Usage & Resolution