Why do physicians switch from one antipsychotic agent to another?
There is a lack of research on why physicians select a certain drug in an individual case and not another available alternative, although this drug selection process is important for quality assurance and cost control. Four hundred ninety-five psychiatrists documented in a standardized form patient and illness characteristics of 1711 schizophrenic outpatients who were switched for individual clinical reasons from an ongoing neuroleptic treatment to olanzapine, and of another 1654 schizophrenic outpatients whose present neuroleptic medication was continued. Physicians also filled in the “Reason for Treatment Selection Questionnaire.” Patients who were switched to olanzapine were more ill and showed more preexisting extrapyramidal symptoms and less patient compliance. Reasons of psychiatrists to switch to olanzapine were the expectation of better efficacy and tolerability of the present treatment and patient preferences to continue with the present medication. The price of olanzapine is
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