Psychopharmacological Treatment of Schizophrenia Over Time in 30 908 Inpatients: Data From the AMSP Study

Clozapine-associated adverse drug reactions in 38,349 psychiatric inpatients: drug surveillance data from the AMSP project between 1993 and 2016

Clozapine is a second-generation antipsychotic drug that offers superior treatment results in patients with schizophrenia but is also associated with significant risks. This study analyzes data on pharmacotherapy with clozapine and the associated adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in an inpatient setting including 38,349 patients. Data about the use of clozapine and reports of severe ADRs within the period 1993-2016 were obtained from the multicentered observational pharmacovigilance program "Arzneimittelsicherheit in der Psychiatrie" (AMSP). In total, 586 severe clozapine-associated ADRs were documented (1.53% of all patients exposed). Patients aged ≥65 years had a higher risk of ADRs than patients aged <65 years (1.96 vs. 1.48%; p = 0.021). Significantly more ADRs were attributed to clozapine alone (396; 67.6% of all 586 ADRs) than to a combination with other drugs. The most frequent ADRs were grand mal seizures (0.183% of all 38,349 patients exposed), delirium (0.180%), increased liver enzymes (0.120%), and agranulocytosis (0.107%). We detected 24 cases (0.063%) of clozapine-induced extrapyramidal symptoms, of which 8 (0.021%) were attributed to clozapine alone. Five ADRs resulted in death (0.013%): 2 due to agranulocytosis (41 cases total) (mortality = 4.88%) and 3 due to paralytic (sub)ileus (16 cases) (mortality = 18.75%). The median dose of clozapine in all patients treated was 300 mg/day, in patients who developed ADRs 250 mg/day. The main risk factor for an ADR was pre-existing damage of the affected organ system. Overall, the results of this study highlight the importance of alertness-especially of frequently overlooked symptoms-and appropriate monitoring during treatment with clozapine, even at low doses.

Effect of education regarding treatment guidelines for schizophrenia and depression on the treatment behavior of psychiatrists: A multicenter study

AIM

This study aims to examine the real-world effectiveness of education regarding clinical guidelines for psychiatric disorders using 'the Effectiveness of guidelines for dissemination and education in psychiatric treatment (EGUIDE)' project.

METHODS

The EGUIDE project is a nationwide prospective implementation study of two clinical practice guidelines, i.e., the Guideline for Pharmacological Therapy of Schizophrenia and the Treatment Guidelines for Major Depressive Disorders, in Japan. Between 2016 and 2019, 782 psychiatrists belonging to 176 hospitals with psychiatric wards participated in the project and attended lectures on clinical practice guidelines. The proportions of guideline-recommended treatments in 7405 patients with schizophrenia and 3794 patients with major depressive disorder at participating hospitals were compared between patients under the care of psychiatrists participating in the project and those not participating in the project. Clinical and prescribing data on the patients discharged from April to September each year from participating hospitals of the project were also analyzed.

RESULTS

The proportions of three quality indicators (antipsychotic monotherapy regardless of whether other psychotropics medication, antipsychotic monotherapy without other psychotropics and no prescription of anxiolytics or hypnotics) for schizophrenia were higher among participating psychiatrists than among nonparticipating psychiatrists. As similar results were obtained in major depressive disorder, the effectiveness of the project for the dissemination of guideline-recommended treatment has been replicated.

CONCLUSION

This strategy of providing education regarding the clinical guidelines for psychiatric disorders was effective in improving the treatment-related behavior of psychiatrists. The use of this education-based strategy might contribute to resolving the mental health treatment gap.

Clinical use of mood stabilizers beyond treatment for bipolar disorder: The REAP-MS study

OBJECTIVE

Mood stabilizers are psychotropic drugs mainly used to treat bipolar disorder in the acute phase or for maintenance therapy to prevent relapse. In clinical practice, mood stabilizers are commonly prescribed for conditions other than bipolar disorder. This study investigated the distribution of mood stabilizer prescriptions for different psychiatric diagnoses and studied differences in the drugs, dosage, and plasma concentration in 10 Asian countries including Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, China, Thailand, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Indonesia, and Myanmar.

METHODS

Patients prescribed mood stabilizers (lithium, carbamazepine, valproic acid, or lamotrigine) for a psychiatric condition other than bipolar disorder (codes F31.0-F31.9 in the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition, Clinical Modification) were recruited through convenience sampling. A website-based data entry system was used for data collection.

RESULTS

In total, 1557 psychiatric patients were enrolled. Schizophrenia, schizotypal, delusional, and other non-mood psychotic disorders (F20-F29, 55.8 %) was the most common diagnosis, followed by non-bipolar mood disorders (F30, F31- F39, 25.3 %), organic mental disorder (F00-F09, 8.8 %), mental retardation (F70-F79, 5.8 %) and anxiety, dissociative, stress-related, somatoform and other nonpsychotic mental disorders (F40-F48, 4.4 %). The most frequently targeted symptoms (>20 %) were irritability (48 %), impulsivity (32.4 %), aggression (29.2 %), anger (20.8 %), and psychosis (24.1 %). Valproic acid was the most frequently used medication.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinicians typically prescribe mood stabilizers as empirically supported treatment to manage mood symptoms in patients with diagnoses other than bipolar disorders, though there is on official indication for these disorders. The costs and benefits of this add-on symptomatic treatment warrant further investigation.

Prescribing Trends for the Same Patients with Schizophrenia Over 20 Years

Background

Recent pharmacoepidemiology data show an increase in the proportion of patients receiving second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) monotherapy, but no studies have analyzed the same patients over a long period of time. Therefore, in this study, we retrospectively evaluated schizophrenia patients with available data for 20 years to determine whether the drug treatments in the same patients have changed in the past 20 years.

Methods

The study began in April 2021 and was conducted in 15 psychiatric hospitals in Japan. Schizophrenia patients treated in the same hospital for 20 years were retrospectively examined for all prescriptions in 2016, 2011, 2006, and 2001 (ie, every 5 years).

Results

The mean age of the 716 patients surveyed in 2021 was 61.7 years, with 49.0% being female. The rate of antipsychotic monotherapy use showed a slight increasing trend over the past 20 years; the rate of SGA use showed a marked increasing trend from 28.9% to 70.3% over the past 20 years, while the rate of SGA monotherapy use showed a gradual increasing trend over the past 20 years. The rates of concomitant use of anticholinergics, antidepressants, anxiolytics/sleep medications, and mood stabilizers showed decreasing, flat, flat, and flat trends over the past 20 years, respectively.

Conclusion

The results of this study showed a slow but steady substitution of SGAs for first-generation antipsychotics (FGAs) over time, even in the same patients.

[Effect of the direct healthcare professional communication on citalopram and escitalopram drug utilization for inpatient treatment of anxiety disorders]

BACKGROUND

In 2011, direct healthcare professional communication (DHPC) letters on citalopram and escitalopram were sent out to address the risk of QTc prolongation in the ECG. Healthcare professionals were informed about a reduction of the maximum recommended daily dose. Furthermore, a contraindication for QTc-prolonging co-medication was given. Previous studies noted that these instructions were implemented incompletely.

AIM

For the first time, this study analyzed how the DHPC affected the prescription of citalopram and escitalopram in patients with anxiety disorders.

METHODS

Drug utilization data from the project "Arzneimittelsicherheit in der Psychiatrie e. V." (AMSP) was used to examine whether the proportion of patients treated with a higher-than-recommended daily dose ("high dose") and the proportion of patients with QTc-prolonging co-medication would decrease post-DHPC (combined category of citalopram/escitalopram).

RESULTS

Drug utilization data of n = 364 patients pre- and n = 262 patients post-DHPC were compared. The proportion of patients with high dose declined from 10.7% to 5.4% (p = 0.019). The proportion of patients with QTc-prolonging co-medication did not change significantly from pre- (54.7%) to post-DHPC (51.5%, p = 0.437).

DISCUSSION

In accordance with previous studies, the proportion of high-dose patients decreased after DHPC publication while the proportion of patients with QTc-prolonging co-medication remained widely unchanged. The specific recommendation on daily dosage seems to have been better implemented than the broadly formulated contraindication of QTc-prolonging co-medication. Hence, DHPCs should be written precisely and give advice for specific clinical situations.

Actionable Predictive Factors of Homelessness in a Psychiatric Population: Results from the REHABase Cohort Using a Machine Learning Approach

BACKGROUND

There is a lack of knowledge regarding the actionable key predictive factors of homelessness in psychiatric populations. Therefore, we used a machine learning model to explore the REHABase database (for rehabilitation database-n = 3416), which is a cohort of users referred to French psychosocial rehabilitation centers in France.

METHODS

First, we analyzed whether the different risk factors previously associated with homelessness in mental health were also significant risk factors in the REHABase. In the second step, we used unbiased classification and regression trees to determine the key predictors of homelessness. Post hoc analyses were performed to examine the importance of the predictors and to explore the impact of cognitive factors among the participants.

RESULTS

&nbsp;First, risk factors that were previously found to be associated with homelessness were also significant risk factors in the REHABase. Among all the variables studied with a machine learning approach, the most robust variable in terms of predictive value was the nature of the psychotropic medication (sex/sex relative mean predictor importance: 22.8, σ = 3.4). Post hoc analyses revealed that first-generation antipsychotics (15.61%; p < 0.05 FDR corrected), loxapine (16.57%; p < 0.05 FWER corrected) and hypnotics (17.56%; p < 0.05 FWER corrected) were significantly associated with homelessness. Antidepressant medication was associated with a protective effect against housing deprivation (9.21%; p < 0.05 FWER corrected).

CONCLUSIONS

Psychotropic medication was found to be an important predictor of homelessness in our REHABase cohort, particularly loxapine and hypnotics. On the other hand, the putative protective effect of antidepressants confirms the need for systematic screening of depression and anxiety in the homeless population.

Clozapine Treatment Is Associated With Higher Prescription Rate of Antipsychotic Monotherapy and Lower Prescription Rate of Other Concomitant Psychotropics: A Real-World Nationwide Study

BACKGROUND

Although clozapine is effective for treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS), the rate of clozapine prescription is still low. Whereas antipsychotic monotherapy is recommended in clinical practice guidelines, the rate of antipsychotic polypharmacy is still high. There is little evidence on whether a clozapine prescription influences changes in the rate of monotherapy and polypharmacy, including antipsychotics and other psychotropics. We therefore hypothesized that the rate of antipsychotic monotherapy in patients with TRS who were prescribed clozapine would be higher than that in patients with schizophrenia who were not prescribed clozapine.

METHODS

We assessed 8306 patients with schizophrenia nationwide from 178 institutions in Japan from 2016 to 2019. We analyzed the psychotropic prescription data at discharge in patients diagnosed with TRS and with no description of TRS (ND-TRS) based on the diagnosis listed in the discharge summary.

RESULTS

The rate of antipsychotic monotherapy in the TRS with clozapine group (91.3%) was significantly higher than that in the TRS without clozapine group (45.9%; P &lt; 2.0 × 10-16) and the ND-TRS without clozapine group (54.7%; P &lt; 2.0 × 10-16). The rate of antipsychotic monotherapy without any other concomitant psychotropics in the TRS with clozapine group (26.5%) was significantly higher than that in the TRS without clozapine group (12.6%; P = 1.1 × 10-6) and the ND-TRS without clozapine group (17.0%; P = 5.9 × 10-6).

CONCLUSIONS

Clozapine prescription could be associated with a high rate of antipsychotic monotherapy. Patients will benefit from the correct diagnosis of TRS and thus from proper clozapine prescription.

Antipsychotic drug treatment of schizophrenia in later life: Results from the European cross-sectional AMSP study

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the relationship between patient age and the selection and dosage of antipsychotic drugs (APDs) for treatment of schizophrenia. We describe age effects for multiple individual APDs, thus allowing comparisons between drugs.

METHODS

Prescription data of 32,062 inpatients with schizophrenia from 2000 to 2017 were obtained from the Drug Safety Program in Psychiatry (AMSP) database. APD selection and dosage were related to patient age with sex as an influencing variable. Moreover, a systematic search of current guideline recommendations on APD treatment in patients with schizophrenia aged ≥65 years was performed.

RESULTS

Eighty percentof elderly patients (≥65 years) received a second-generation APD, most commonly risperidone. The dosage of APDs increased with age until about age 40 years, then decreased slowly at first and more steeply beyond age 55 years. The influence of age as well as sex on dosage partly differed between the individual drugs. Only one of eight schizophrenia guidelines systematically addressed specific aspects of pharmacotherapy in older adults.

CONCLUSIONS

In clinical routine, age has a significant impact on selection and dosing of APDs. Information on optimising pharmacotherapy in older adults with schizophrenia from clinical trials is needed. Guidelines should be improved regarding APD therapy specifically for older adults.

Sexual dysfunction in people treated with long-acting injectable antipsychotics in monotherapy or polypharmacy: a naturalistic study

Sexual dysfunction, psychosis, and antipsychotics are known to be related, but the precise association between them is still unknown. Most evidence about the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in people treated with antipsychotic drugs comes from studies with restrictive samples. That is why our main objective was to determine the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in a real-life sample of outpatients treated with antipsychotics, considering gender. A cross-sectional naturalistic study was developed, including people treated with long-acting injectable antipsychotics, with or without other psychotropic drugs. Participants were interviewed to assess sexual satisfaction through a Likert scale (0 to 10) and the presence of sexual dysfunction (the Psychotropic-Related Sexual Dysfunction Questionnaire, PRSexDQ-SALSEX). The participants also had a blood test to determine prolactin (men and women) and testosterone levels (men only). A total of 131 people participated in the study (90 men and 41 women). Some extent of sexual dysfunction was found in 62.2% of men and 51.2% of women. The most frequent sexual dysfunction symptom for both genders was the loss of libido (45%). Hyperprolactinemia was present in 56% of men and 61% of women. The presence of sexual dysfunction was associated with higher doses of antipsychotics, hyperprolactinemia, and smoking in men and with smoking and hyperprolactinemia in postmenopausal women. This study provides real-life evidence of sexual dysfunction and hyperprolactinemia in persons treated with long-acting injectable antipsychotics segregated by gender. The high rates of sexual dysfunction and hyperprolactinemia detected corroborate the need to consider these aspects in clinical practice.

Aripiprazole and Risperidone Present Comparable Long-Term Metabolic Profiles: Data From a Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial in Drug-Naïve First-Episode Psychosis

OBJECTIVE

Aripiprazole and risperidone are 2 of the most used second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) worldwide. Previous evidence shows a similar effect of these SGAs on weight and metabolic changes in the short term. However, a longer period is necessary for a better assessment of the SGA´s metabolic profile. We aimed to compare the long-term (1-year) metabolic profile of these 2 antipsychotics on a sample of drug-naïve first episode-psychosis (FEP) patients.

METHODS

A total 188 drug-naïve patients, suffering from a first episode of non-affective psychosis (FEP), were randomly assigned to treatment with either aripiprazole or risperidone. Weight and glycemic/lipid parameters were recorded at baseline and after 1-year follow-up.

RESULTS

We observed significant weight increments in both groups (9.2 kg for aripiprazole and 10.5 kg for risperidone) after 1 year of treatment. Despite this, weight and body mass index changes did not significantly differ between treatment groups (P &gt; .05). Similarly, both treatment groups presented similar metabolic clinical impact with a comparable increase in the proportion of participants meeting criteria for metabolic disorders such as obesity or hypercholesterolemia, but not for metabolic syndrome (Δ9.2% vs Δ4.3%) or hypertriglyceridemia (Δ21.9% vs Δ8.0%), where aripiprazole showed worse outcomes than risperidone.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that aripiprazole and risperidone share a similar long-term metabolic profile. After 1 year of antipsychotic treatment, drug-naïve FEP patients in both treatment groups presented a significant increase in weight and metabolic changes, leading to a greater prevalence of metabolic disorders.

Pharmacological treatment of major depressive disorder according to severity in psychiatric inpatients: results from the AMSP pharmacovigilance program from 2001-2017

The International Classification of Diseases (10^th Version) categorizes major depressive disorder (MDD) according to severity. Guidelines provide recommendations for the treatment of MDD according to severity. Aim of this study was to assess real-life utilization of psychotropic drugs based on severity of MDD in psychiatric inpatients. Drug utilization data from the program “Drug Safety in Psychiatry” (German: Arzneimittelsicherheit in der Psychiatrie, AMSP) were analyzed according to the severity of MDD. From 2001 to 2017, 43,868 psychiatric inpatients with MDD were treated in participating hospitals. Most patients were treated with ≥ 1 antidepressant drug (ADD; 85.8% of patients with moderate MDD, 89.8% of patients with severe MDD, and 87.9% of patients with psychotic MDD). More severely depressed patients were more often treated with selective serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors and mirtazapine and less often with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (p < 0.001 each). Use of antipsychotic drugs (APDs), especially second-generation APDs, increased significantly with severity (37.0%, 47.9%, 84.1%; p < 0.001 each). APD + ADD was the most used combination (32.8%, 43.6%, 74.4%), followed by two ADDs (26.3%, 29.3%, 24.9%). Use of lithium was minimal (3.3%, 6.1% ,7.1%). The number of psychotropic drugs increased with severity of MDD—patients with psychotic MDD had the highest utilization of psychotropic drugs (93.4%, 96.5%, 98.7%; p < 0.001). ADD monotherapy was observed to a lesser extent, even in patients with non-severe MDD (23.2%, 17.1%, 4.4%). Findings reveal substantial discrepancies between guideline recommendations and real-life drug utilization, indicating that guidelines may insufficiently consider clinical needs within the psychiatric inpatient setting.

Insulin and glucose metabolism with olanzapine and a combination of olanzapine and samidorphan: exploratory phase 1 results in healthy volunteers

A combination of olanzapine and samidorphan (OLZ/SAM) received US Food and Drug Administration approval in May 2021 for the treatment of adults with schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder. OLZ/SAM provides the efficacy of olanzapine, while mitigating olanzapine-associated weight gain. This exploratory study characterized the metabolic profile of OLZ/SAM in healthy volunteers to gain mechanistic insights. Volunteers received once-daily oral 10 mg/10 mg OLZ/SAM, 10 mg olanzapine, or placebo for 21 days. Assessments included insulin sensitivity during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp, other measures of glucose/lipid metabolism, and adverse event (AE) monitoring. Treatment effects were estimated with analysis of covariance. In total, 60 subjects were randomized (double-blind; placebo, n = 12; olanzapine, n = 24; OLZ/SAM, n = 24). Olanzapine resulted in hyperinsulinemia and reduced insulin sensitivity during an OGTT at day 19, changes not observed with OLZ/SAM or placebo. Insulin sensitivity, measured by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp, was decreased in all treatment groups relative to baseline, but this effect was greatest with olanzapine and OLZ/SAM. Although postprandial (OGTT) glucose and fasting cholesterol concentrations were similarly increased with olanzapine or OLZ/SAM, other early metabolic effects were distinct, including post-OGTT C-peptide concentrations and aspects of energy metabolism. Forty-nine subjects (81.7%) experienced at least 1 AE, most mild or moderate in severity. OLZ/SAM appeared to mitigate some of olanzapine's unfavorable postprandial metabolic effects (e.g., hyperinsulinemia, elevated C-peptide) in this exploratory study. These findings supplement the body of evidence from completed or ongoing OLZ/SAM clinical trials supporting its role in the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder.

Characteristics of discharge prescriptions for patients with schizophrenia or major depressive disorder: Real-world evidence from the Effectiveness of Guidelines for Dissemination and Education (EGUIDE) psychiatric treatment project

BACKGROUND

Monopharmacy with antipsychotics and antidepressants is the first-line treatment for schizophrenia and major depressive disorder (MDD) in most clinical guidelines, while polypharmacy with psychotropic agents in the treatment of schizophrenia is common in clinical practice. There are no detailed data on the prescription patterns for inpatients with mental illness with reliable diagnoses made by treating psychiatrists.

METHODS

We gathered prescription data at discharge from 2177 patients with schizophrenia and 1238 patients with MDD from October 2016 to March 2018.

RESULTS

The patients with schizophrenia aged between 60 and 79 were prescribed lower doses of antipsychotics and hypnotics/anxiolytics than those aged between 40 and 59. There were significant differences between the prescription rate of antipsychotics in the patients with schizophrenia and that of antidepressants in the patients with MDD. The frequency of concomitant drugs such as anti-Parkinson drugs, anxiolytics/hypnotics and mood stabilizers in the subjects with schizophrenia prescribed antipsychotic polypharmacy was significantly higher than that with monotherapy. For the patients with schizophrenia, olanzapine, risperidone, aripiprazole, quetiapine, and blonanserin were the five most prescribed antipsychotics. For the patients with MDD, mirtazapine, duloxetine, escitalopram, trazodone and sertraline were the five most prescribed antidepressants.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results showed the use of high doses of antipsychotics, high percentages of antipsychotic polypharmacy and concurrent use of hypnotics/anxiolytics in patients with schizophrenia. Notably, these data were collected before intensive instruction regarding the guidelines; therefore, we need to assess the change in the prescription pattern post guideline instruction.

Antipsychotic use among persons with schizophrenia in Sweden and Finland, trends and differences

OBJECTIVES

To compare the differences in prevalence of antipsychotic and adjunctive pharmacotherapy use among individuals with schizophrenia between Sweden and Finland during 2006-2016.

METHODS

Nationwide register-based data were utilized for constructing two separate cohorts: all persons in Finland with a diagnosis of schizophrenia treated in inpatient care during 1972-2014, and persons in Sweden aged 16-64 with recorded diagnoses of schizophrenia in inpatient or specialized outpatient care, sickness absence or disability pension during 2005-2013. The prevalence of use was assessed as a point prevalence on 31 October each year 2006-2016, based on drug use periods modelled with the PRE2DUP method. In 2016, the Finnish cohort included 37,780 persons and Swedish cohort 25,433 persons.

RESULTS

The most commonly used antipsychotic in 2016 was oral olanzapine in both countries (22.7% [95% CI 21.6-22.4] in Finland, 20.9% [20.4-21.4] in Sweden), followed by clozapine which was more frequently used in Finland (22.0%, 21.6-22.4) than in Sweden (14.8%, 14.4-15.3). Long-acting injectable (LAI) use was almost two times more likely in Sweden (21.6%, 95% CI 21.1-22.1) than in Finland (12.8%, 12.5-13.1), a difference which was due to more common use of FG-LAIs in Sweden. A four-fold difference was observed in Z-drugs use (19.9% in Sweden versus 5.0% in Finland).

CONCLUSION

Potential explanations for the observed discrepancies include differences in national treatment guidelines, methods of data collection, patient characteristics and/or attitudes towards treatment among both patients and physicians.

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Second- and Third-Generation Antipsychotic Drugs-Influence of Smoking Behavior and Inflammation on Pharmacokinetics

Both inflammation and smoking can influence a drug’s pharmacokinetic properties, i.e., its liberation, absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination. Depending on, e.g., pharmacogenetics, these changes may alter treatment response or cause serious adverse drug reactions and are thus of clinical relevance. Antipsychotic drugs, used in the treatment of psychosis and schizophrenia, should be closely monitored due to multiple factors (e.g., the narrow therapeutic window of certain psychotropic drugs, the chronicity of most mental illnesses, and the common occurrence of polypharmacotherapy in psychiatry). Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) aids with drug titration by enabling the quantification of patients’ drug levels. Recommendations on the use of TDM during treatment with psychotropic drugs are presented in the Consensus Guidelines for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring in Neuropsychopharmacology; however, data on antipsychotic drug levels during inflammation or after changes in smoking behavior—both clinically relevant in psychiatry—that can aid clinical decision making are sparse. The following narrative review provides an overview of relevant literature regarding TDM in psychiatry, particularly in the context of second- and third-generation antipsychotic drugs, inflammation, and smoking behavior. It aims to spread awareness regarding TDM (most pronouncedly of clozapine and olanzapine) as a tool to optimize drug safety and provide patient-tailored treatment.

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Second- and Third-Generation Antipsychotic Drugs—Influence of Smoking Behavior and Inflammation on Pharmacokinetics

Both inflammation and smoking can influence a drug’s pharmacokinetic properties, i.e., its liberation, absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination. Depending on, e.g., pharmacogenetics, these changes may alter treatment response or cause serious adverse drug reactions and are thus of clinical relevance. Antipsychotic drugs, used in the treatment of psychosis and schizophrenia, should be closely monitored due to multiple factors (e.g., the narrow therapeutic window of certain psychotropic drugs, the chronicity of most mental illnesses, and the common occurrence of polypharmacotherapy in psychiatry). Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) aids with drug titration by enabling the quantification of patients’ drug levels. Recommendations on the use of TDM during treatment with psychotropic drugs are presented in the Consensus Guidelines for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring in Neuropsychopharmacology; however, data on antipsychotic drug levels during inflammation or after changes in smoking behavior—both clinically relevant in psychiatry—that can aid clinical decision making are sparse. The following narrative review provides an overview of relevant literature regarding TDM in psychiatry, particularly in the context of second- and third-generation antipsychotic drugs, inflammation, and smoking behavior. It aims to spread awareness regarding TDM (most pronouncedly of clozapine and olanzapine) as a tool to optimize drug safety and provide patient-tailored treatment.

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Second- and Third-Generation Antipsychotic Drugs-Influence of Smoking Behavior and Inflammation on Pharmacokinetics

Both inflammation and smoking can influence a drug's pharmacokinetic properties, i.e., its liberation, absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination. Depending on, e.g., pharmacogenetics, these changes may alter treatment response or cause serious adverse drug reactions and are thus of clinical relevance. Antipsychotic drugs, used in the treatment of psychosis and schizophrenia, should be closely monitored due to multiple factors (e.g., the narrow therapeutic window of certain psychotropic drugs, the chronicity of most mental illnesses, and the common occurrence of polypharmacotherapy in psychiatry). Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) aids with drug titration by enabling the quantification of patients' drug levels. Recommendations on the use of TDM during treatment with psychotropic drugs are presented in the Consensus Guidelines for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring in Neuropsychopharmacology; however, data on antipsychotic drug levels during inflammation or after changes in smoking behavior-both clinically relevant in psychiatry-that can aid clinical decision making are sparse. The following narrative review provides an overview of relevant literature regarding TDM in psychiatry, particularly in the context of second- and third-generation antipsychotic drugs, inflammation, and smoking behavior. It aims to spread awareness regarding TDM (most pronouncedly of clozapine and olanzapine) as a tool to optimize drug safety and provide patient-tailored treatment.

[Antipsychotic Polypharmacy in the Treatment of Patients with Schizophrenia in Nine Psychiatric Hospitals of the Landschaftsverband Rheinland, Germany]

BACKGROUND

Antipsychotics are the cornerstone in the treatment of schizophrenia and are primarily recommended as monotherapy by evidence-based guidelines. Nevertheless, antipsychotic polypharmacy (APP) is prevalent in routine practice and APP is also used as a quality indicator since 2016 in quality management programs.

OBJECTIVE

Based on routine data of nine psychiatric hospitals of the Landschaftsverband Rheinland (LVR)/Germany the prevalence of APP was determined and correlated with factors of routine healthcare in order to monitor the adoption of APP and to discuss its feasibility as a quality indicator.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

All cases with schizophrenia (ICD-10 F20.x; ≥ 18 years) discharged between June 1st, 2016, and June 1st, 2017, (in-patient and day clinic) were extracted from an established research database shared by all nine hospitals and analyzed regarding APP prevalence at the time of discharge.

RESULTS

Based on 6,788 cases, the prevalence of APP was 55.5 % with an average of 2.4 antipsychotics (SD = 0.6) administered simultaneously. In multivariate analyses, significant predictors for APP were: gender (male > female), the number of days in hospital (long > short), involuntary treatment (no > yes) and the location of the hospital.

CONCLUSIONS

We found a high proportion of polypharmacy in inpatient schizophrenia patients and significant differences between hospitals. The use of the results as a quality indicator (criteria ≥ 2 antipsychotics) remains dependent on the background of the individual treatment courses, which cannot be adequately represented by the existing routine data. The LVR has been using the quality indicator of ≥ 3 antipsychotics since 2018, which is discussed as a more appropriate approach for future evaluations.

Evaluation of long-acting injectable antipsychotics with the corresponding oral formulation in a cohort of patients with schizophrenia: a real-world study in Spain

To date, only a few studies compared some long-acting injectables (LAIs) antipsychotics showing similar symptom improvement, relapse rates and adherence to treatment. We evaluated the use of LAIs antipsychotics [aripiprazole-1-month (A1M); paliperidone-1-month and 3-month (PP1M and PP3M) and biweekly (2w)-LAIs] and their corresponding oral formulations through (1) the number of hospital re-admissions, (2) the number of documented suicidal behaviour/attempts and (3) the use of concomitant benzodiazepines, oral antipsychotics and biperiden. A total of 277 patients, ≥18 years old, were included if were treated with the corresponding oral or LAI antipsychotic during at least 12 months and were previously diagnosed with schizophrenia. Our results showed that LAIs associated significantly lower suicidal behaviour, reduced the number of hospital admissions, lower diazepam and haloperidol equivalents and mean daily dose of biperiden intake versus oral antipsychotics. Furthermore, significant differences were found between LAIs. Specifically, PP3M was associated to lower hospital admissions versus A1M; PP1M and PP3M lower doses of diazepam equivalents versus 2w-LAIs and finally, PP1M lower antipsychotic intake versus 2w-LAIs. In conclusion, LAIs improved clinical outcomes by reducing the need for concomitant treatments and hospital admissions over oral antipsychotics. PP1M and PP3M showed better outcomes versus A1M and biweekly LAIs.

Antipsychotics in Postpartum Psychosis

BACKGROUND

Psychotic episodes in the postpartum period are life-threatening psychiatric emergencies, requiring urgent medical attention and admission to a psychiatric hospital.

AREAS OF UNCERTAINTY

Although the postpartum psychosis (PPP) is the most severe psychiatric disorder associated with parturition, there is little information about what interventions are most effective. Because there are no specific guidelines for the treatment of PPP, the aim of the present review was to examine the available evidence regarding the treatment of PPP.

DATA SOURCES

The PubMed database was searched based on the title and the abstract, using the key words "postpartum psychosis," "postpartum psychosis antipsychotics," "postpartum psychosis treatment," and "postpartum psychosis pharmacotherapy," for both interventional and observational, irrespective of language.

RESULTS

A number of 14 publications met the study criteria, including case reports and case series. The antipsychotics (APs) use included both first generation APs, such as haloperidol and chlorpromazine, and second generation APs, mainly, olanzapine, quetiapine, and risperidone. The most frequently used AP was olanzapine. Olanzapine and quetiapine seem to be the most acceptable during breastfeeding. Proposed treatment algorithms for the successful management of PPP are discussed.

CONCLUSIONS

The existing studies to date do not allow to draw a definitive conclusion regarding which treatment is the most effective or the most adequate. Existing evidence suggests that APs alone or in combination are responsible for sustained remission and that treated PPP has a higher pace of improvement of the mental status, with a rapid discharge from the hospital. Clinical studies to compare the efficacy and safety of different APs in the PPP are needed to provide guidance on treatment interventions.

Prevalence and sort of pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions in hospitalized psychiatric patients

Psychiatric patients are high-risk patients for the development of pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions (DDIs), leading to highly variable (victim) drug serum concentrations. Avoiding and targeting high-risk drug combinations could reduce preventable adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Pharmacokinetic cytochrome P450 (CYP)-mediated DDIs are often predictable and, therefore, preventable. The retrospective, longitudinal analysis used informations from a large pharmacovigilance study (Optimization of pharmacological treatment in hospitalized psychiatric patients study, study number 01VSF16009, 01/2017), conducted in 10 psychiatric hospitals in Germany. Medication data were examined for the co-prescription of clinically relevant CYP inhibitors or inducers and substrates of these enzymes (victim drugs). In total, data from 27,396 patient cases (45.6% female) with a mean (mean ± standard deviation (SD)) age of 47.3 ± 18.3 years were available for analysis. CYP inhibitors or inducers were at least once prescribed in 14.4% (n = 3946) of the cases. The most frequently prescribed CYP inhibitors were melperone (n = 2504, 28.1%) and duloxetine (n = 1324, 14.9%). Overall, 51.0% of the cases taking melperone were combined with a victim drug (n = 1288). Carbamazepine was the most frequently prescribed CYP inducer (n = 733, 88.8%). Combinations with victim drugs were detected for 58% (n = 427) of cases on medication with carbamazepine. Finally, a DDI was detected in 43.6% of the cases in which a CYP inhibitor or inducer was prescribed. The frequency of CYP-mediated DDI is considerably high in the psychiatric setting. Physicians should be aware of the CYP inhibitory and inducing potential of psychotropic and internistic drugs (especially, melperone).

The CYP2C19*2 and CYP2C19*17 Polymorphisms Influence Responses to Clozapine for the Treatment of Schizophrenia

INTRODUCTION

Clozapine (CLZ) is the gold standard drug for treatment-refractory schizophrenia (TRS). However, approximately 30% of patients partially respond to CLZ, defining this subset with super refractory schizophrenia (SRS). Alterations in enzyme activity may affect CLZ responses; the CYP3A4, CYP1A2 and CYP2C19 genes are primarily responsible for CLZ metabolism.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess if CYP2C19 variants were associated with TRS or SRS.

METHODS

CYP2C19*2 loss-of-function and CYP2C19*17 gain-of-function polymorphism genotype testing were performed in 108 individuals undergoing pharmacological treatment for TRS or SRS. DNA was extracted and polymorphisms were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing.

RESULTS

CYP2C19*17 had positive correlations with SRS and lower Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) scores for TRS. In addition, CYP2C19*2 was associated with lower CLZ dosages for TRS.

CONCLUSION

These results show that CYP2C19*2 and CYP2C19*17 polymorphisms influence CLZ responses during schizophrenia treatment.

Adherence to neuroleptic treatment in psychiatric practices: A retrospective study of 55 practices with more than 5000 bipolar and schizophrenic patients in Germany

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect that treating physicians have on the compliance of their psychiatric (schizophrenia (SP) and bipolar disorder (BP)) patients.

METHODS

This retrospective study was based on data from the Disease Analyzer database (IQVIA). It included 2870 SP and 2327 BD patients who had received at least two neuroleptic prescriptions from 55 psychiatric practices between January 2016 and December 2018. The average proportion of days covered (PDC) per patient was calculated. Patients were considered adherent if their PDC was greater than or equal to 80%. Practice adherence was considered high if at least 70% of patients in the practice of interest were adherent.

RESULTS

The mean PDC was 59.8% (SD: 13.9%) in SP and 65.0% (SD: 11.5%) in BD patients. The share of patients with an optimal PDC value (≥80%) differed considerably between practices (between 28% and 92% for SP and between 33% and 92% for BP). The prevalence of practices with high adherence was lower for schizophrenia than for bipolar disorder (21.9% versus 45.5%).

CONCLUSION

Psychiatrists play an important role in the compliance of SP and BP patients treated with neuroleptics.

Prescribing Patterns of Psychotropic Drugs and Risk of Violent Behavior: A Prospective, Multicenter Study in Italy

BACKGROUND

This prospective cohort study aimed at evaluating patterns of polypharmacy and aggressive and violent behavior during a 1-year follow-up in patients with severe mental disorders.

METHODS

A total of 340 patients (125 inpatients from residential facilities and 215 outpatients) were evaluated at baseline with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I and II, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Specific Levels of Functioning scale, Brown-Goodwin Lifetime History of Aggression, Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, and State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2. Aggressive behavior was rated every 15 days with the Modified Overt Aggression Scale and treatment compliance with the Medication Adherence Rating Scale.

RESULTS

The whole sample was prescribed mainly antipsychotics with high levels of polypharmacy. Clozapine prescription and higher compliance were associated with lower levels of aggressive and violent behavior. Patients with a history of violence who took clozapine were prescribed the highest number of drugs. The patterns of cumulative Modified Overt Aggression Scale mean scores of patients taking clozapine (n = 46), other antipsychotics (n = 257), and no antipsychotics (n = 37) were significantly different (P = .001). Patients taking clozapine showed a time trend at 1-year follow-up (24 evaluations) indicating a significantly lower level of aggressive behavior. Patient higher compliance was also associated with lower Modified Overt Aggression Scale ratings during the 1-year follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Both inpatients and outpatients showed high levels of polypharmacy. Clozapine prescription was associated with lower Modified Overt Aggression Scale ratings compared with any other antipsychotics or other psychotropic drugs. Higher compliance was associated with lower levels of aggressive and violent behavior.

Lithium for schizophrenia: supporting evidence from a 12-year, nationwide health insurance database and from Akt1-deficient mouse and cellular models

Accumulating evidence suggests AKT1 and DRD2-AKT-GSK3 signaling involvement in schizophrenia. AKT1 activity is also required for lithium, a GSK3 inhibitor, to modulate mood-related behaviors. Notably, GSK3 inhibitor significantly alleviates behavioral deficits in Akt1^−/− female mice, whereas typical/atypical antipsychotics have no effect. In agreement with adjunctive therapy with lithium in treating schizophrenia, our data mining indicated that the average utilization rates of lithium in the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database from 2002 to 2013 are 10.9% and 6.63% in inpatients and outpatients with schizophrenia, respectively. Given that lithium is commonly used in clinical practice, it is of great interest to evaluate the effect of lithium on alleviating Akt1-related deficits. Taking advantage of Akt1^+/− mice to mimic genetic deficiency in patients, behavioral impairments were replicated in female Akt1^+/− mice but were alleviated by subchronic lithium treatment for 13 days. Lithium also effectively alleviated the observed reduction in phosphorylated GSK3α/β expression in the brains of Akt1^+/− mice. Furthermore, inhibition of Akt expression using an Akt1/2 inhibitor significantly reduced neurite length in P19 cells and primary hippocampal cell cultures, which was also ameliorated by lithium. Collectively, our findings implied the therapeutic potential of lithium and the importance of the AKT1-GSK3 signaling pathway.

Antipsychotic Polypharmacy: A Dirty Little Secret or a Fashion?

The term polypharmacy was originally coined to refer to problems related to multiple drug consumption and excessive drug use during the treatment of a disease or disorder. In the treatment of schizophrenia, polypharmacy usually refers to the simultaneous use of 2 or more antipsychotic medications or combined (adjunct) medications such as mood stabilizers, antidepressants, anxiolytics, or hypnotics in addition to single or multiple antipsychotics. Two decades ago, antipsychotic polypharmacy was criticized as being more expensive, having unproven efficacy, and causing more side effects. However, in recent years, antipsychotic polypharmacy has become more or less acceptable in the views of clinical practitioners and academic researchers. Results from recent reviews have suggested that the common practice of antipsychotic polypharmacy lacks double-blind or high-quality evidence of efficacy, except for negative symptom reduction with aripiprazole augmentation. We reviewed some representative studies that enrolled large numbers of patients and compared antipsychotic polypharmacy and monotherapy during the past decade. The results revealed that a certain proportion of select patients can benefit from antipsychotic polypharmacy without further negative consequences. Because most of the current treatment guidelines from different countries and organizations prefer monotherapy and discourage all antipsychotic polypharmacy, guidelines regarding the use of antipsychotic polypharmacy in clinical practice should be revised. On the basis of the findings of 2 large-scale studies from Asia and Europe, we also suggest ideal rates of various maintenance treatments of schizophrenia, which are as follows: antipsychotic polypharmacy, 30%; combined mood stabilizer, 15%; combined antidepressant, 10%; combined anxiolytics, 30%; and combined hypnotic, 10%.