Changes in Aripiprazole Usage in the Psychiatric Inpatients at a University Hospital between 2004-2008 and 2009-2013

Shim, In Hee; Woo, Young Sup; Jun, Tae Youn; Bahk, Won Myong

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Patterns of clinical use of aripiprazole have changed greatly in the past decade. We aimed to assess changes in these patterns in an inpatient unit at a university hospital between 2004-2008 and 2009-2013.
METHODS
The subjects (n=182) were inpatients treated with aripiprazole between September 2004 and May 2013 who were categorized according to time period: Sep 2004-Dec 2008 (n=42) or Jan 2009-May 2013 (n=142). Aripiprazole was approved as an adjunctive therapy for patients with major depressive disorder by the Korea Food and Drug Administration in 2008. The subjects' charts were retrospectively reviewed to ascertain the distribution of psychiatric diagnoses and to identify other factors related to diagnosis, such as demographic characteristics, starting/maximum doses, and treatment regimen.
RESULTS
Comparison of the two time periods showed that the most common psychiatric diagnoses changed from schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders to mood disorders such as major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. Aripiprazole was more often prescribed for bipolar disorder, depressed patients during 2009-2013 than during 2004-2008 (15.5% vs. 2.4%, p=0.047). Patients with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders (p=0.005), major depressive disorder (p=0.006), bipolar disorder, manic/mixed (p=0.006) and other diagnoses (p=0.029) had significantly lower starting doses during 2009-2013 than during 2004-2008. Although a trend was found toward a higher aripiprazole dose for schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders during 2009-2013 than during 2004-2008, the difference was not significant (28.3+/-1.4 vs. 22.1+/-2.1, p=0.061).
CONCLUSION
Treatment with aripiprazole has been extended beyond schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders to mood disorders and other diagnoses in clinical practice. The majority of patients treated with aripiprazole during the later period received lower starting doses than did those during the earlier one, although maximum doses varied depending on the psychiatric diagnosis.