Publications (2)16.63 Total impact
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Article: Pharmacotherapy of schizophrenic patients: preponderance of off-label drug use.
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ABSTRACT: Multiple drug class combinations are often prescribed for the treatment of schizophrenia, although antipsychotic monotherapy reflects FDA labeling and scientific justification for combinations is highly variable. This study was performed to gain current data regarding drug treatment of schizophrenia as practiced in the community and to assess the frequencies of off-label drug class combinations. 200 DSM IV-diagnosed schizophrenic patients recruited from community treatment sources participated in this cross-sectional study of community based schizophrenic patients. Drug class categories include First and Second Generation Antipsychotic drugs (FGA and SGA, respectively), mood stabilizers, antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs. 25.5% of patients received antipsychotic monotherapy; 70% of patients received an antipsychotic and another drug class. A total of 42.5% of patients received more than one antipsychotic drug. The most common drug class combination was antipsychotic and a mood stabilizer. Stepwise linear discriminant function analysis identified the diagnosis of schizoaffective schizophrenia, history of having physically hurt someone and high scores on the General Portion of the PANSS rating scale predicted the combined use of an antipsychotic drug and a mood stabilizer. "Real world" pharmacotherapy of schizophrenia has developed its own established practice that is predominantly off-label and may have outstripped current data support. The economic implications for public sector payers are substantial as well as for the revenue of the pharmaceutical industry, whose promotion of off-label drug use is an increasingly problematic. These data are consistent with the recognition of the therapeutic limitations of both first and second generation antipsychotic drugs.PLoS ONE 02/2008; 3(9):e3150. · 4.09 Impact Factor -
Article: Effect size of symptom status in withdrawal of typical antipsychotics and subsequent clozapine treatment in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia.
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ABSTRACT: In light of the efficacy of newer antipsychotic agents and the possibility that drug withdrawal may negatively affect subsequent drug response, concern has arisen that the use of placebo in schizophrenia research may be unethical. This study examines the effect size of symptom exacerbation during drug washout with placebo and the effects of drug washout on the efficacy of subsequent drug treatment. Fifty patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia hospitalized on a research unit participated in a double-blind longitudinal study of the effects of drug washout after chronic treatment with a typical antipsychotic and before prospective treatment with clozapine. Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) scores were analyzed to examine drug effects and effect sizes for baseline treatment with a typical antipsychotic (>6 months treatment), drug washout with placebo (mean=34 days), early treatment with clozapine (mean=42 days, mean dose=345.0 mg/day), and optimal clozapine treatment (mean=83 days, mean dose=450.5 mg/day). Patients' BPRS total, positive, and negative symptom scores significantly increased during placebo washout, compared with baseline treatment, and significantly decreased with administration of clozapine, compared with placebo washout and baseline treatment. However, 30% of patients showed some symptom improvement during placebo washout. The effect sizes for the BPRS total score were 0.63 for baseline treatment versus placebo washout, 1.10 for optimal clozapine treatment versus placebo washout, and 0.82 for optimal clozapine treatment versus baseline treatment. Symptom exacerbation induced by drug withdrawal in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia did not impede subsequent responsiveness to clozapine. The effect size for clozapine, compared with typical antipsychotics, suggests that the drug-washout longitudinal design is useful for establishing a drug-free baseline and for investigating drug response, while requiring relatively few subjects.American Journal of Psychiatry 06/2003; 160(6):1133-8. · 12.54 Impact Factor
