Antipsychotic Agents used to Augment Clozapine during Long-Term Inpatient Hospitalizations

Schizophrenia Patients Discharged on Clozapine Plus Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics From a Public Psychiatric Hospital in Taiwan, 2006-2021

BACKGROUND

Some schizophrenia patients treated with clozapine experience an inadequate response and adherence problems. The purpose of this study was to compare time to rehospitalization within 6 months in schizophrenia patients discharged on 3 clozapine regimens. Additionally, the temporal trend of prescription rate in each group was also explored.

METHODS

Schizophrenia patients discharged from the study hospital from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2021, (n = 3271) were included in the analysis. The type of clozapine prescribed at discharge was divided into 3 groups: clozapine plus long-acting injectable antipsychotics (clozapine + LAIs), clozapine plus other oral antipsychotics (clozapine + OAPs), and clozapine monotherapy. Survival analysis was used to compare time to rehospitalization within 6 months after discharge among the 3 groups. The temporal trend in the prescription rate of each group was analyzed using the Cochran-Armitage Trend test.

RESULTS

Patients discharged on clozapine + LAIs had a significantly longer time to rehospitalization than those on clozapine + OAPs or clozapine monotherapy. The prescription rates of clozapine + LAIs and clozapine + OAPs significantly increased over time, whereas the prescription rates of clozapine monotherapy significantly decreased.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with the clozapine + OAPs group, the clozapine + LAIs group had a lower risk of rehospitalization and a lower dose of clozapine prescribed. Therefore, if a second antipsychotic is required for patients who are taking clozapine alone, LAIs should be considered earlier.

Does the Starting of Clozapine Influence Coprescription of Other Medications?: A Study From India

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND

Little is understood about the prescription load before and after the starting of clozapine. Accordingly, this study aimed to evaluate the medication load of patients receiving clozapine, just before starting clozapine and after being on clozapine for at least 1 year. Additionally, the impact of clozapine on severity of illness was evaluated.

METHODS/PROCEDURES

Two hundred seventy-seven outpatients receiving clozapine were prospectively evaluated for their prescription after at least 1 year of starting clozapine. Additionally, these patients were assessed on the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement scale to evaluate the overall clinical benefit with clozapine.

FINDINGS/RESULTS

They had been receiving clozapine for 6.55 (SD, 4.8; range, 1-24; median, 5) years at the time of assessment. At the start of clozapine, more than one third of the patients were receiving 2 antipsychotics. A small proportion was receiving other psychotropics, such as antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and benzodiazepines. After being on clozapine for 1 year, there was a significant reduction in the number of patients receiving two antipsychotic medications (P < 0.001), number of patients receiving antidepressants (if amitriptyline was left out), benzodiazepine (P < 0.001), and anticholinergic medications (P < 0.001). Further, there was a reduction in the mean chlorpromazine equivalent of antipsychotics (P < 0.001) and the total number of medications received by the patients (P < 0.001). However, there was an increase in the prescription rates of antihypertensive drugs (P = 0.03), anti-diabetic medications (P < 0.01), and anti-dyslipidemic medications. At follow-up, there was a significant improvement in symptoms as assessed by Clinical Global Impression-Improvement scale.

IMPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that long-term use of clozapine is associated with substantial improvement in symptoms with a reduction in the medication load.

The effects of adding long-acting injectable antipsychotic drugs to clozapine on relapse and hospitalization in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia: a mirror-image retrospective study

The literature assessing the addition of long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) to clozapine is limited. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the safety and effectiveness of adding LAIs to clozapine in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). Patients aged 18-65 years with TRS, who were treated with first-generation (FGA-LAIs) and second-generation (SGA-LAIs) for at least 1 year after clozapine use, were included retrospectively by registration system scanning. Effectiveness measures included relapses and hospitalizations and days of hospitalization. Safety outcomes included levels of neutrophils, fasting blood sugar, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and prolactin. The data of 29 patients who met the study criteria were evaluated. The numbers and days of hospitalizations and the numbers of relapses significantly decreased after LAI addition. Comparisons of the neutrophil counts and the total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL, LDL, prolactin, and fasting blood glucose levels as safety indicators of the clozapine and LAI combination revealed no statistically significant change in these values before and after LAI addition. Adding LAIs to clozapine is apparently well tolerated in patients with TRS and may have a positive effect on the course of the disease.