Associations between clozapine availability, the diagnosis of treatment-resistant schizophrenia subgroups, antipsychotic monotherapy, and concomitant psychotropics among patients with schizophrenia: a real-world nationwide study.

ABSTRACT:

Background and hypothesis

The rate of antipsychotic polypharmacy is high. One risk factor for antipsychotic polypharmacy may be the severity of schizophrenia, including treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). We hypothesized that the institutions that are able to prescribe clozapine present differences in pharmacological treatment even before TRS is diagnosed.

Study design

A total of 8155 patients with schizophrenia were divided into the clozapine-available institution (CAI) group and the clozapine-unavailable institution (CUI) group. The psychotropic prescription rates at discharge were compared between the two groups. Furthermore, to investigate whether the diagnosis of TRS subgroups influenced treatment efficacy, we compared CAIs and CUIs with descriptions of subgroups w

SUBMITTER: Ochi S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11986582 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature