title: Use of conventional antipsychotics and the cost of treating schizophrenia.
abstract: This study documents the drug therapy patterns and 1-year treatment costs for 18,833 Medicaid patients with schizophrenia treated with conventional antipsychotic medications in Michigan, Kentucky, Alabama, and Georgia. One in four patients used no antipsychotic, but had total costs that were less than for treated patients (-$2,576, p < .0001); 18 percent of treated patients delayed therapy for at least 1 month and had significantly higher total costs of $3,994 (p < .0001); 41 percent of treated patients changed therapy with similar results (+$4,067, p < .0001). Only 20 percent of patients were compliant with drug therapy but this had no significant impact on total treatment costs.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, USA.
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Lyu
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: McCombs
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Johnstone
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Muse
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000407:Alabama; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D016527:Drug Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017723:Drug Utilization Review; D005260:Female; D005845:Georgia; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007629:Kentucky; D008297:Male; D008484:Medicaid / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008824:Michigan; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics*; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents