[Pharmacoeconomic review of the use of injectable long-acting risperidone].

Schizophrenia is a severe and chronic illness as well as one of the most expensive illnesses to treat. Relapse and rehospitalisation contributes significantly to the economic burden of schizophrenia. Partial compliance with antipsychotic medication was associated with an increased risk of inpatient hospitalization. Health care resource use is significantly reduced in patients with stable schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder receiving long-acting, injectable risperidone. It is highly likely that these reductions will decrease healthcare costs in patients receiving long-acting risperidone. In this article cost-effectiveness models of long-acting risperidone developed for different countries are discussed. Long-acting risperidone produced additional clinical benefit and cost savings compared with other treatment strategies, despite significant variations in cost-effectiveness. One factor remained valid for each country: improved adherence arising through the use of long-acting risperidone provides a cost-effective strategy for treating patients with schizophrenia. On the basis of the cost-effectiveness evaluations in different countries long-acting risperidone seems to offer a cost saving treatment option for patient with schizophrenia under Hungarian circumstances. Further assessment of these models in a pragmatic study and actual monitoring of health care resource utilization should confirm the above assumption.