Prescribing patterns of low doses of antipsychotic medications in older Asian patients with schizophrenia, 2001-2009.
BACKGROUND
This study examined the use of low doses of antipsychotic medications (300 mg/day CPZeq or less) in older Asian patients with schizophrenia and its demographic and clinical correlates.


METHODS
Information on hospitalized patients with schizophrenia, aged 55 years or older, was extracted from the database of the Research on Asian Psychotropic Prescription Patterns (REAP) study (2001-2009). Data on 1,452 patients in eight Asian countries and territories including China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, India, and Malaysia were analyzed. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and antipsychotic prescriptions were recorded using a standardized protocol and data collection procedure.


RESULTS
The prescription frequency for low doses of antipsychotic medications was 40.9% in the pooled sample. Multiple logistic regression analysis of the whole sample showed that patients on low doses of antipsychotic medications were more likely to be female, have an older age, a shorter length of illness, and less positive symptoms. Of patients in the six countries and territories that participated in all the surveys between 2001 and 2009, those in Japan were less likely to receive low doses of antipsychotics.


CONCLUSIONS
Low doses of antipsychotic medications were only applied in less than half of older Asian patients with schizophrenia.
Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Yu-Tao
YT
Xiang
Faith
F
Dickerson
Julie
J
Kreyenbuhl
Gabor S
GS
Ungvari
Chuan-Yue
CY
Wang
Tian-Mei
TM
Si
Edwin H M
EH
Lee
Yan-Ling
YL
He
Helen F K
HF
Chiu
Kelly Y C
KY
Lai
Naotaka
N
Shinfuku
Shu-Yu
SY
Yang
Mian-Yoon
MY
Chong
Ee-Heok
EH
Kua
Senta
S
Fujii
Kang
K
Sim
Michael K H
MK
Yong
Jitendra K
JK
Trivedi
Eun-Kee
EK
Chung
Pichet
P
Udomratn
Kok-Yoon
KY
Chee
Norman
N
Sartorius
Chay-Hoon
CH
Tan
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents