查看文章

To determine the prevalence, trends, and factors associated with antipsychotic polypharmacy categorized according to type of antipsychotic and duration of use and to contrast usage patterns with published treatment guidelines. A retrospective cohort study was designed, and Medicaid recipients≥ 16 years of age with a schizophrenia diagnosis (ICD-9-CM= 295. xx) between 1998 and 2000 were identified from the California (20% random sample) and Georgia Medicaid claims databases. Use of antipsychotic polypharmacy was categorized based on duration (long-term polypharmacy was defined as lasting> 2 months), and long-term use was further categorized based on type of antipsychotic combinations (clozapine, conventional, and atypical). The prevalence, mean duration, and frequency of and yearwise trends in antipsychotic polypharmacy were estimated. A stepwise logistic variable …