Abstract
BACKGROUND: Long acting injectable antipsychotics (LAI-APs) are considered a major advance in psychiatric treatment concerning treatment adherence and outcomes. Yet, both, doctors and patients remain sceptical.
AIM: To explain the rationale for using LAI-APs, review their effectiveness and explore barriers to use.
METHOD: Clinical overview of LAI-APs from the patient and doctor's perspective.
RESULTS: LAI-APs were developed to increase adherence to treatment, thereby improving treatment outcomes. LAI-APs may reduce the risk of relapse and hospitalisation. Yet, the evidence from the few meta-analyses available remains weak. Both patients and doctors may associate LAI-APs with stigma and coercion. Current means of improving adherence include more focus on the therapeutic relationship, better information, adverse effects minimisation and half-life extension of LAI-APs. Future means of improving adherence include novel administration techniques that abolish the need for injection.
CONCLUSIONS: For both, clinicians and drug developers, drug adherence remains a major target for improving treatment outcomes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | S36-S39 |
| Journal | Nordic Journal of Psychiatry |
| Volume | 72 |
| Issue number | sup1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 27 Jan 2019 |
Keywords
- adherence
- Antipsychotics
- blood-brain-barrier
- long-acting injections
- relapse