Switching from Olanzapine to Risperidone in Schizophrenia
Author Information
Author(s): Rohan Ganguli, Jaspreet S Brar, Ramy Mahmoud, Sally A Berry, Gahan J Pandina
Primary Institution: Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic
Hypothesis
What is the best strategy for switching patients from olanzapine to risperidone?
Conclusion
A gradual reduction in the dose of olanzapine over 2 weeks leads to better retention rates compared to abrupt or less gradual discontinuation.
Supporting Evidence
- 12% of patients in the gradual 2 group discontinued treatment prematurely compared to 25% in the abrupt group.
- Improvements in PANSS total score were noted across all groups.
- Adverse events were generally mild and well tolerated.
Takeaway
When changing medications for schizophrenia, taking your time to lower the old medicine helps more people stick with their new medicine.
Methodology
Patients were randomly assigned to three strategies for switching from olanzapine to risperidone over 6 weeks.
Potential Biases
Raters were blinded to the switch strategy, which mitigated some bias.
Limitations
The study was open-label and had a short duration.
Participant Demographics
Patients aged 18 to 65 with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p < 0.0001
Confidence Interval
0.61–0.99
Statistical Significance
p<0.0001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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