Resource utilization in a Canadian national study of people with schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders.
OBJECTIVE
To determine how the use of the newer, so called atypical antipsychotic medications, effects the pharmacoeconomic treatment burden of schizophrenia and related conditions and to provide a clear comparison of the costs and risks associated with these atypical drugs.


METHODS
In this 2-year, open-label, prospective study, resource utilization (RU) data were collected on 160 patients with these conditions. A comparison between risks and costs was performed by combining the generalized CNOMSS data on both economic factors and risk assessments.


RESULTS
The main findings of the study were that the total adjusted 1- and 2-year costs were lowest for quetiapine. Drug acquisition costs were lowest for risperidone for both the 1- and 2-year cohorts. Clozapine use was predictably associated with the highest overall and medication costs at both 1 and 2 years.


CONCLUSIONS
Treatment with risperidone or quetiapine was associated with the lowest overall costs when compared with olanzapine or clozapine.
Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. lkopala@dal.ca
L
L
Kopala
G
G
Smith
A
A
Malla
R
R
Williams
L
L
Love
D
D
Talling
R
R
Balshaw
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002170:Canada; D003024:Clozapine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003987:Dibenzothiazepines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016527:Drug Costs; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000077152:Olanzapine; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics; D000069348:Quetiapine Fumarate; D018570:Risk Assessment; D018967:Risperidone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003987:Dibenzothiazepines; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D000069348:Quetiapine Fumarate; D003024:Clozapine; D018967:Risperidone; D000077152:Olanzapine