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Partial compliance and patient consequences in schizophrenia: our patients can do better
1Department of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque 87131-1161, USA. skeith@salud.unm.edu
Objective:
The primary objective of this review is to evaluate the strategies used to improve patient compliance with antipsychotic medication in the treatment of schizophrenia.
Data Sources:
An electronic literature search of relevant studies using MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library (January 1974-December 2002) was performed using the search terms adherence, antipsychotic, atypical, compliance, conventional, and schizophrenia.
Study Selection:
English-language and non-English-language articles, references from bibliographies of reviews, original research articles, and other articles of interest were reviewed.
Data Extraction:
Data quality was determined by publication in the peer-reviewed literature and the most important information was identified.
Data Synthesis:
Atypical antipsychotics are associated with an improved side-effect profile and reduced risk of relapse compared with the older agents. Additional benefit may be provided by long-acting injectable formulations as they provide the confidence of continuous medication coverage.
Conclusions:
Successful treatment of patients with schizophrenia requires acknowledgment that partial compliance will present a major barrier to achieving maximum outcomes. Ideally, all patients suspected of partial compliance should be considered suitable for treatment with a long-acting injectable atypical antipsychotic.