title: Cost analysis of treating schizophrenia with amisulpride: naturalistic mirror image study.
abstract: The aim of the study was to examine the costs of schizophrenia treatment using the atypical antipsychotic amisulpride relative to treatment with other antipsychotics. Service use data were collected for one year of amisulpride treatment. The patients were also assessed with the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale and scales of Quality of Life. These were compared with retrospectively collected data for the 1-year period prior to the patients commencing amisulpride. The findings indicate that, compared with the year before, the clinical and quality of life scores improved during the year of treatment with amisulpride. There was a numerical reduction of total costs, as well as costs of in- and out-patient service use per patient per year during the year on amisulpride compared with the year before the patients started amisulpride. Patients on amisulpride spent fewer days as acute in-patients, but stayed longer in rehabilitation wards. Amisulpride treatment may lead to a reduction in the cost of treating schizophrenia in comparison with treatment with other antipsychotic medications.
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychological Medicine, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK. s.surguladze@iop.kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Surguladze
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Kerwin
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knapp
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Travis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000077582:Amisulpride; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D016527:Drug Costs; D005260:Female; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013469:Sulpiride / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D013469:Sulpiride; D000077582:Amisulpride