Electronic Schizophrenia Treatment Adherence Registry (e-STAR) in Latin America: Clinical outcomes of long-acting injectable risperidone in a 2-year follow-up

Schizophrenia involves high healthcare costs. Lack of adherence to treatment for this illness is one of the main reasons for relapse and hospitalization. The foregoing leads to poor prognosis and global functional impairment of patients. Risperidone Long-Acting Injection (RLAI) has demonstrated its efficacy in treating schizophrenia and offers the possibility that patients have a better therapeutic adherence. Objective: To determine efficacy and effect on the functionality and use of RLAI hospital resources in a 2-year follow-up Latin-American sample of patients with schizophrenia. Method: The Electronic Schizophrenia Treatment Adherence Registry (e-STAR) in Latin America is an observational study of the RLAI use in schizophrenia. Patients from Mexico, Colombia and Brazil were recruited. Clinical information from patients was collected one year prior to RLAI treatment and prospectively every three months for a 24-month followup. Hospitalizations and the RLAI treatment scheme were registered. Efficacy was assessed using the Clinical Global Impression of Illness-Severity Scale (CGI-S), while the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) and the Personal and Social Performance (PSP) were used for the evaluation of functioning. Results: Seventy-three patients completed the two-year follow-up. The proportion of patients hospitalized declined from 16.4% before treatment to 4.1% after 2 years of treatment with RLAI. 2.7% discontinued the treatment due to lack of efficacy. Significant improvements were reported regarding illness severity and global functioning. Discussion: In daily clinical practice RLAI offers an effective long-term treatment for patients with schizophrenia, with a lower use of healthcare resources.