Long-Acting Risperidone and Oral Antipsychotics in Unstable Schizophrenia

In this comparison of long-acting injectable risperidone with psychiatrists' choice of oral antipsychotic in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, risperidone did not significantly reduce psychiatric hospitalizations or improve symptoms, quality of life, or function. The most common and potentially remediable cause of treatment failure in patients with schizophrenia is lack of adherence to prescribed oral medications. 1 , 2 By ensuring sustained levels of drug in the blood, long-acting injectable delivery may improve adherence and symptom control and reduce the rate of relapse and hospitalization. 2 – 5 In the United States, the first second-generation antipsychotic agent to be made available in a long-acting injectable delivery system was risperidone (Risperdal Consta, Ortho-McNeil Janssen). Long-acting injectable risperidone may cause fewer extrapyramidal symptoms than the long-acting injectable first-generation antipsychotic agents. 6 A randomized trial showed the efficacy of long-acting injectable risperidone . . .