Risperidone long-acting injection: a 6-year mirror-image study of healthcare resource use.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate naturalistic use of risperidone long-acting injection (RLAI) and its effect on healthcare resource use.


METHODS
Mirror-image comparison of healthcare resource use for 3 years before RLAI initiation and 3 years after.


RESULTS
In total, 211 of 277 patients consecutively prescribed RLAI were evaluable over the full 6-year study period. Median days in hospital/patient increased significantly in the 3 years after RLAI initiation [87 days (inter-quartile range 25-236) before vs. 192 days (47-426) after; P < 0.001]. Those 34 patients who continued RLAI for 3 years showed no change in median bed days [64 days (6.5-182) before vs. 64 days (12-180) after] and median number of admissions was decreased [1.5 (1-2.25) before vs. 1.00 (0-1.25) after; P = 0.001]. Healthcare costs more than doubled for the whole cohort (P < 0.001) and discontinuers (P < 0.001) and increased significantly for continuers (P = 0.010).


CONCLUSIONS
RLAI did not decrease either time spent in hospital or overall healthcare costs in this patient cohort.
Taylor
D
D
Pharmacy Department, Maudsley Hospital, London, UK. david.taylor@slam.nhs.uk
Fischetti
C
C
Sparshatt
A
A
Thomas
A
A
Bishara
D
D
Cornelius
V
V
D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018967:Risperidone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013997:Time Factors
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D018967:Risperidone