Original scientific paper

TREATMENT PATTERNS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA BASED ON THE DATA FROM SEVEN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

Monika Szkultecka-Debek ; Roche Polska Sp. z o.o., Warsaw, Poland
Katarzyna Miernik ; Arcana Institute, Cracow, Poland
Jaroslaw Stelmachowski ; Arcana Institute, Cracow, Poland
Miro Jakovljević ; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Vlado Jukić ; Psychiatric Clinic "Vrapče", Zagreb, Croatia
Kaire Aadamsoo ; Psychiatry Clinic, North Estonia Medical Centre, Tallinn, Estonia
Sven Janno ; Tartu University Hospital, Estonia
István Bitter ; Semmelweis University, Budantipsychoticest, Hungary
Judit Tolna ; Semmelweis University, Budantipsychoticest, Hungary
Marek Jarema ; Instytut Psychiatrii i Neurologii, Warsaw, Poland
Slobodan Jankovic ; Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia
Jan Pecenak ; Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
Livia Vavrusova ; Private Psychiatry office, Bratislava, Slovakia
Rok Tavčar ; University Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana, Slovenia
Jacek Walczak ; Arcana Institute, Cracow, Poland
Darren Talbot ; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
Joanna Augustynska ; Arcana Institute, Cracow, Poland

Abstract

Objective: The aim is to analyze how schizophrenia is pharmacologically treated in seven CEE countries: Croatia, Estonia,
Hungary, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia.
Methods: Psychiatrists from selected centers in each of participating countries were asked to complete a pre-defined
questionnaire on their current clinical practice. Information on protocols and resource utilization in schizophrenia treatment was
included and derived from randomly selected patient medical records. Expert opinions on country-wide treatment patterns were
additionally sought. This sub-analysis focuses on pharmacological treatment patterns in the last six months and over the course of
the disease.
Results: 961 patients’ data show that during last six months the most commonly prescribed medications were oral atypical antipsychotics:
olanzapine (n=268), clozapine (n=234) and risperidone (n=160). The most frequently prescribed atypical antipsychotics
over course of disease were: risperidone (54.5%), olanzapine (52.4%) and clozapine (35.1%), along with haloperidol (39.3%).
Experts reported risperidone (four countries) and olanzapine (three countries) as first-line treatment, with the same two medications
prescribed as second-line treatment. Clozapine was the most reported medication for refractory patients. Approximately 22% of
patients received polypharmacy with antipsychotics in at least one period over the disease course. Mean time since diagnosis was
13.1 years and on average 4.8 treatment courses received during that period. Anxiolytics (70%), antidepressants (42%), moodstabilizers
(27%) were also prescribed, with diazepam (35.4%), sertraline (10.5%), valproic acid (17.5%) the most commonly
reported, respectively, in each group. The most frequently reported treatment change was switch from one oral atypical
antipsychotic to another (51%).
Conclusion: Oral atypical antipsychotics, mostly older drugs (risperidone, olanzapine, clozapine), were most commonly
prescribed for schizophrenia treatment in participating countries. Given that results are from the first large-scale analysis of RWD,
we believe these findings can be a benchmark for future real-world studies, which could contribute to the optimization of treatment
for this debilitating disease.

Keywords

schizophrenia; burden of disease; European countries; treatment patterns; antipsychotics

Hrčak ID:

176260

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/176260

Publication date:

15.9.2016.

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