Pharmaco-epidemiological study on antipsychotic drug prescription in French Psychiatry:: Patient characteristics, antipsychotic treatment, and care management for schizophrenia

In 2000, a one week national survey was conducted among 202 psychiatrists (129 participants) in France, from hospitals and clinics, private or public. The first 20 inpatients and 10 outpatients prescribed at least one antipsychotic drug (age range 18-65), were included. The diagnostic procedure was standardized with a structured interview: the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). A total 2 068 patients were included, among whom 892 (43.1 %) reached the criteria of schizophrenia according ICD-10. We present here data on these latter patients. Mean age was 38.8 years; with 38.8 % females. Median duration of current antipsychotic treatment was 0.5 year in inpatients and 2 years in outpatients. Median duration. of any antipsychotic treatment was 10 years, without difference between groups. Comorbid situations (anxiety disorder, depression and suicidal risk) were found in 33.1 % of schizophrenic patients, with higher frequency among inpatients in private hospitals (54.8 %) than in other groups. 46.8 % patients were prescribed at least 2 neuroleptics, and 73.6 % at least one non-neuroleptic drugs. Cyamemazine accounted for 16.6 % of all neuroleptics drugs, and 56 % of patients were prescribed an atypical antipsychotic (risperidone, olanzapine, amisulpride or. clozapine). Atypical drugs accounted for 59.4 % of patients who were prescribed only one neuroleptic drug. Inpatients had more neuroleptics coprescription than outpatients (mean 1.8 vs 1.4 drugs), with higher daily dose. In addition, inpatients had more other psychotropics prescribed (mean 1.5 vs 1.1 drugs). Overall, more other psychotropic drugs were prescribed among patients with -, than those without - comorbid situations (1.7 vs 1.2 drugs). Median time since admission, at the time of the study, were similar in private and public hospitals (107 vs 99 days) but maximal time since admission was respectively 2.8 and 48.9 years. Visit frequency for outpatients was more than one every two weeks for 43.1 % in private and 24.7 % in public clinics. Among inpatients only we found a difference between private and public hospitals for polypharmacy of non neuroleptics psychotropics, (mean 1.9 vs 1.5). In outpatients, long acting depot accounted for 26.6 % of neuroleptics treatments in public clinics and 15.4 % in private clinics. Finally, we found that polypharmacy among outpatients increased with duration of antipsychotic treatment. Conclusion : in France, important differences are reported in antipsychotic prescription for schizophrenia between in- and outpatients. Current antipsychotic prescription is more recent in inpatients than in outpatients, with similar duration of overall antipsychotic treatment. Inpatients have more drug prescription, antipsychotics and other psychotropics, than outpatients. Differences are less important between private and public providers. Inpatients in private hospitals receive more non neuroleptic drugs than in public hospitals, and depot antipsychotics are more used among patients of public clinics. Long term inpatients are found in public hospitals only. Outpatients follow up is more intensive in private than in public clinics.