OBJECTIVE: To describe outpatient antipsychotic medication treatment patterns and estimate the diagnosis-related costs of care associated with treatment of schizophrenic patients in usual care. METHODS: Use of outpatient antipsychotic medications and other health services during 1997 was obtained for 1,356 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia in a claims database. We evaluated the treated prevalence of outpatient antipsychotic therapy and continuity of medication usage, and estimated the costs of schizophrenia care, adjusting for multiple covariates. RESULTS: 21.2% of schizophrenic patients received no antipsychotic therapy (NoAP); 19.2% discontinued their initial antipsychotic without subsequent restart (Discont); 20.9% experienced multiple monotherapy treatment episodes (MultMono) ; 17.8% received multiple antipsychotic medications (MultAP); and 20.9% received continuous antipsychotic medication therapy (Cont). MultAP patients incurred significantly higher total diagnosis-related costs ($10,585; p<0.001) than patients in the other medication treatment groups (Discont=$5,692; Cont=$5,156; MultMono=$5,068; NoAP=$2,401). The proportion of costs for institutional care incurred by patients ranged from 37% for Cont patients to 77% for Discont or NoAP patients. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of schizophrenic patients received either no exposure or limited exposure to antipsychotic medications. Patients who received medication monotherapy either continuously or through successive treatment episodes were less costly than other patients. Reductions in institutional costs among patients receiving continuous antipsychotic monotherapy offset costs of these medications.
Learning Objectives: The participants will develop an understanding of the use patterns and associated costs of antipsychotic medication treatment of schizophrenia in a usual care setting
Keywords: Cost Issues, Treatment Patterns
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Antipsychotics as a medication therapy, without identification of specific brands or classes of antispychotics, will be discussed
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Employment at pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly and Company, with interests in antipsychotic medication therapy.