Korean J Psychopharmacol.  2013 Apr;24(2):69-75.

Antipsychotic Polypharmacy in the Treatment of Patients with Related Psychoses at a University Hospital

• Chang JG
• Roh D
• An SK
• Cho HS
• Kim CH

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
The practice of antipsychotic polypharmacy is common, despite lack of supporting evidence. The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of antipsychotic polypharmacy in a psychiatric university hospital in Korea and find out the clinical factors associated with antipsychotic polypharmacy.
METHODS
We reviewed medical records of the patients discharged from Severance Mental Health Hospital (SMH) for the period of 1, January to 31, December 2010. Patients should be diagnosed as having schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, brief psychotic disorder, delusional disorder or psychotic disorder not otherwise specified.
RESULTS
In 2010, 260 patients in SMH were prescribed with antipsychotics and 47.3% (n=123) of them were discharged under antipsychotic polypharmacy treatment. The most commonly prescribed antipsychotics for combination therapy was quetiapine (n=64). The most prevalent combination of drugs was risperidone plus quetiapine (n=20). Logistic regression analysis showed that the use of high-dose antipsychotics, first-generation antipsychotics, and long hospital duration were significantly associated with antipsychotic polypharmacy.
CONCLUSION
Although the controlled evidence for efficacy and safety as a strategy remains inconclusive, antipsychotic polypharmacy is a common pharmacological strategy as it is illustrated in our study. Considering high antipsychotic doses related with antipsychotic polypharmacy, careful monitoring of side effect and efficacy is needed.

Keyword

Psychosis; Antipsychotics; Polypharmacy; Combination

MeSH Terms

Antipsychotic Agents
Dibenzothiazepines
Humans
Korea
Logistic Models
Medical Records
Mental Health
Polypharmacy
Prevalence
Psychotic Disorders
Risperidone
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia, Paranoid
Quetiapine Fumarate
Antipsychotic Agents
Dibenzothiazepines
Risperidone