Back to Life Back to Noramlity: Tablets and Injections

Journal of Dual Diagnosis, 2012

Objective-Treatment of schizophrenia in patients with comorbid substance use (alcohol/illicit drug use, abuse or dependence) presents challenges for public health systems. Substance use in people with schizophrenia is up to four times greater than the general population and is associated with medication nonadherence and poor outcomes. Therefore, continuous antipsychotic treatment in this population may pose more of a challenge than for those with schizophrenia alone. Many clinical trials and treatment recommendations in schizophrenia do not take into consideration substance use as people with comorbid substance use have typically been excluded from most antipsychotic trials. Nonetheless, antipsychotic treatment appears to be as efficacious in this population, although treatment discontinuation remains high. The objective of this review was to highlight the importance and utility of considering long-acting injectable antipsychotics for patients with schizophrenia and comorbid substance use.

Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 2005

National attention continues to focus on the need to improve care for individuals with co-occurring mental illnesses and substance use disorders, as emphasized in the 2003 President's New Freedom Commission Report on Mental Health and recent publications from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). These reports document the need for best practice recommendations that can be translated into routine clinical care. Although efforts are underway to synthesize literature in this area, few focused recommendations are available that include expert opinion and evidence-based findings on the management of specific co-occurring disorders, such as schizophrenia and addiction. In response to the need for user-friendly recommendations on the treatment of schizophrenia and addiction, a consensus conference of experts from academic institutions and state mental health systems was organized to 1) frame the problem from clinical and systems-level perspectives; 2) identify effective and problematic psychosocial, pharmacological, and systems practices; and 3) develop a summary publication with recommendations for improving current practice. The results of the consensus meeting served as the foundation for this publication, which presents a broad set of recommendations for clinicians who treat individuals with schizophrenia. "Integrated treatment" is the new standard for evidence-based treatment for this population and recommendations are given to help clinicians implement such integrated treatment. Specific recommendations are provided concerning screening for substance use disorders in patients with schizophrenia, assessing motivation for change, managing medical conditions that commonly occur in patients with dual diagnoses (e.g., cardiovascular disease, liver complications, lung cancer, HIV, and hepatitis B or C infections) and selecting the most appropriate medications for such patients to maximize safety and minimize drug interactions, use of evidence-based psychosocial interventions for patients with dual diagnoses (e.g., Dual Recovery Therapy, modified cognitive-behavioral therapy, modified motivational enhancement therapy, and the Substance Abuse Management Module), and key pharmacotherapy principles for treating schizophrenia, substance use disorders, and comorbid anxiety, depression, and sleep problems in this population. Finally the article reviews programmatic and systemic changes needed to overcome treatment barriers and promote the best outcomes for this patient population. An algorithm summarizing the consensus recommendations is provided in an appendix to the article.

The authors have worked to ensure that all information in this book is accurate at the time of publication and consistent with general psychiatric and medical standards, and that information concerning drug dosages, schedules, and routes of administration is accurate at the time of publication and consistent with standards set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the general medical community. As medical research and practice continue to advance, however, therapeutic standards may change. Moreover, specific situations may require a specific therapeutic response not included in this book. For these reasons and because human and mechanical errors sometimes occur, we recommend that readers follow the advice of physicians directly involved in their care or the care of a member of their family.

Primary care companion to the Journal of clinical psychiatry, 2008

The Primary Care Companion to The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 2008