Objective: Atypical agents have emerged as the dominant choice among antipsychotics. Data about development of antipsychotic use in medium-long stay psychiatric hospitals is lacking.
Material and methods: Antipsychotic drug consumption data and cost was obtained from 1998 to 2010 for all inpatients of a 231-bed psychiatric hospital. Number of hospital stays was obtained from the hospital admission unit. Daily defined dose (DDD) values were those assigned by the WHO. Antipsychotic use was also measured using recently available consensus-based recommendations. Antipsychotic use was then calculated as the sum of individual DDD or total equivalent doses of all antipsychotics divided by the annual stay number.
Results: Antipsychotic use increased 135% from 1998 to 2010 when measured in DDDs or 108% when measured with the consensus-based recommendations. Antipsychotic expenditure has risen six-fold since 1998. This augmentation is due to the increase of use of atypical antipsychotics.
Conclusion: In conclusion, antipsychotic use has at least doubled in the last 13 years. This growth, attributable to an increase in atypical drug use, has contributed to a six-fold increase in the total antipsychotic expenditure. Whether this prescription pattern has translated into palpable clinical benefits remains unclear.