Clinicians' Attitudes Toward the Use of Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics

Depot formulations are not widely used in everyday practice. This
study aimed to assess psychiatrists' attitudes toward the use of
long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics in schizophrenia. We
interviewed 113 French psychiatrists about the factors that
influenced their prescription of LAI antipsychotics.
Multidimensional and cluster analyses were used to detect
correlations. The most important factor against the use of LAI
antipsychotics is a sufficient estimated compliance with the oral
formulation. For first-generation LAI, the main factor is the risk
for extrapyramidal symptoms; and for second-generation LAI, it is
the unavailability of the equivalent oral formulation. Four factors
incite the psychiatrists to prescribe LAI. Two different clusters
of patients can also be identified. Most factors influencing the
clinicians' attitudes toward the use of LAI antipsychotics are
shared in many countries. Conversely, some attitudes related to
organizational aspects, particularly the relevance of health care
costs, may vary from one country to another.