Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences
 

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CLINICAL FACTORS INFLUENCING ANTIPSYCHOTIC CHOICE, DOSE AND AUGMENTATION IN PATIENTS TREATED WITH LONG ACTING ANTIPSYCHOTICS

LIANA DEHELEAN 1#, ANA MARIA ROMOŞAN 1*, MINODORA ANDOR 2#, VALENTINA OANA BUDA 3#, ANA CRISTINA BREDICEAN 1#, MINODORA MARINELA MANEA 4, ION PAPAVĂ 1, RADU ŞTEFAN ROMOŞAN 1

1.Department of Psychiatry, “Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 E. Murgu Square, Timişoara, Romania
2.Department of Medical Semiology II, “Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 E. Murgu Square, Timişoara, Romania
3.Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, “Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 E. Murgu Square, Timişoara, Romania
4.Department of Psychology, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 V. Babeş Street, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

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Treatment resistance requires higher doses and polypharmacy, thus increasing the risk of side effects and drug interactions. The objectives of the study were to identify factors predicting medication choice, dose adjustments and augmentation. The study included patients treated with long acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics distributed into three samples: low, middle and high dosage groups (LDG/MDG/HDG). We analysed socio-demographics and clinical data (age at disorder onset, total duration of psychosis, pre-LAI and LAI treatment durations, smoking habits, adjunctive medication). Symptoms intensity was assessed with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale – Expanded (BPRS-E). Out of 111 patients, 31 were included in LDG, 27 in MDG and 53 in HDG. Subjects also taking mood stabilizers had higher BPRS-E scores regardless of the antipsychotic. Mood stabilizers were more frequently prescribed in HDG patients. LDG subjects presented lower BPRS-E scores than MDG and HDG patients. Subjects with mild symptoms were more frequently candidates for lower side effects of antipsychotics or lower doses of antipsychotics. Treatment resistance resulted in higher antipsychotic doses and adjunctive treatment.