Antipsychotic Polypharmacy: Prevalence, Background and Consequences

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Schizophrenia
• Interventions: Behavioral: Implementation of guideline

• Registration Number: NCT00541398
• Lead Sponsor: Glostrup University Hospital, Copenhagen

Brief Summary

The primary purpose of the study is to investigate whether an intensive educational intervention can reduce the use of antipsychotic polypharmacy. It is hypothesised that the use of antipsychotic polypharmacy is, in some degree, dependent on non-patient related factors.

Detailed Description

Several surveys have shown a high prevalence of antipsychotic polypharmacy (concomitant prescription of at least 2 different antipsychotics) among patients with schizophrenia even though international guidelines recommend monotherapy.

From register data areas with differences in the prevalence of antipsychotic polypharmacy will be identified. Two high prevalence areas will be randomized to either control or intervention area. In the intervention area an intensive educational intervention consisting of outreach visits with a multifaceted approach will be carried out with the duration of 1 year.

Differences in health staff related factors such as knowledge and attitude towards clinical guidelines will be assessed with a questionnaire before and after the intervention in the intervention area as well as in the low prevalence area at baseline.

Medical records data describing the use of antipsychotic polypharmacy will be collected. With register data health economic issues will be assessed.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2007-10-09
• Study First Submitted QC: 2007-10-09
• Study First Posted: 2007-10-10
• Study Start: 2008-01
• Primary Completion: 2009-01
• Status Verified: 2009-10
• Study Completion: 2009-10
• Last Update Submitted: 2009-10-30
• Last Update Posted: 2009-11-01

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 222

Inclusion Criteria

• The intervention is not aimed directly to the patients but their health care providers.
• Patients with schizophrenia (F2* diagnosis according to ICD-10) taking antipsychotic medication and their health care providers in the specified areas will enter the study:
• The patients will enter with data from their medical record, register data and a few exploring interviews while the health staff will enter with their questionnaire data.

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
A	Implementation of guideline	-

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Prevalence of antipsychotic polypharmacy	1 year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Questionnaire assessment of non-patient related factors. Medical records data. Cost-effectiveness analysis.	1 year

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

CNSR; 🇩🇰 Glostrup, Denmark