title: Combination antipsychotic therapy in psychiatric outpatient clinics in Taiwan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to survey the use of combination antipsychotic therapy (CAT) in the psychiatric outpatient clinic of a general hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who received at least 2 antipsychotics in the psychiatric outpatient clinic of a general hospital in 1 month (August 1-31, 2003) were identified, and their retrospective chart review was performed. Using a questionnaire, we surveyed the clinicians on why 2 antipsychotics were prescribed, why long-term CAT was used, and whether the problems were solved by CAT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We studied 957 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and related disorders in 1 month. A total of 119 patients (12%) were prescribed at least 2 antipsychotics. Among these 119 patients, 91 (76%) were prescribed 2 types of first-generation antipsychotics (FGAs), and 15 patients (16%) were prescribed a second-generation antipsychotic medication and a low-dose FGA medication. The clinicians' main reasons for CAT were to treat insomnia (84%) and psychotic symptoms (83%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study revealed that 12% of the patients received CAT in the clinical practice. Most patients were prescribed 2 FGAs. The clinicians' reasons for prescribing CAT in Taiwan were to treat insomnia and psychotic symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua 500, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Si-Sheng
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yi-Cheng
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Yen-Yuh
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Chin-Yi
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Nan-Ying
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Yen-Kuang
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Winston W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents