Psychotropic Drug Utilization Pattern among Schizophrenics

Schizophrenia is a chronic debilitating major psychiatric disorder which may require life long treatment. Treatment of such patients at an early stage may prevent loss of morbidity, mortality and productivity. Till date, pharmacotherapy remains the cornerstone of treatment in such patients . Serendipitous discovery of chlorpromazine and lithium in the fifties brought about a revolution in the field of psychopharmacology. Although highly efficacious, the side-effects (Kane, 1987) produced by these older conventional drugs were distressing leading to an active search for better agents. Advent of newer antipsychotic agents like olanzapine , risperidone and quetiapine has led to major changes in drug usage pattern in psychiatry,besides other considerations related to disease,patients,drugs and physician.