CLINICAL BENEFIT AND UTILITY OF ARIPIPRAZOLE ONCE MONTHLY IN ROUTINE PRACTICE FOR KOREAN SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS (CAMP)

Abstract Background Antipsychotic polypharmacy is prevalent in clinical settings, with an increasing adoption of long-acting injectables to alleviate side effects. Aripiprazole once monthly (AOM) offers enhanced compliance, functional recovery, and symptom relief, yet evidence is lacking within polypharmacy. Aims & Objectives The objectives of this observational study are to investigate the clinical benefits and effectiveness of AOM within a general clinical environment. This investigation entails assessing shifts in clinical functionality, alterations in psychotic symptoms, and modifications in medication dosages and quantities. Method Participants were recruited from six sites, and clinical as well as demographic data were extracted from electronic medical records (EMR) during the screening, baseline, 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, 9-month, and 12-month intervals, with the initiation of AOM treatment serving as the baseline point. Changes of various measures including in GAF (Global Assessment of Functioning), CGI-S (Clinical Global Impression-Severity), CGI-I (Clinical Global Impression-Improvement), PANSS-6 (The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale-6) scores, as well as alterations in medication dosage and quantity over the 12- month period, were analyzed. Results Data of 85 patients were available and notable improvements were observed in key measures. The GAF score increased by 17.2%, the CGI-S score decreased by 17.5%, the CGI-I score decreased by 25%, and the PANSS-6 total score decreased by 22% at 12 months. Particularly noteworthy was the decrease of PANSS-6 score observed as early as month 1, compared to the baseline, with other scales exhibited significant improvement from month 3. At the 12-month juncture, a statistically significant reduction was evident in several medication-related aspects, including the total pill count, antipsychotic pill count, cumulative chlorpromazine-equivalent dosage of antipsychotics, benzodiazepine pill count, and cumulative lorazepam-equivalent dosage of benzodiazepines. Notably, the initial month saw a significant drop in both overall pill count and antipsychotic pill count and dosage. Furthermore, a pronounced reduction in anticholinergic drug and beta-blocker pill counts was observed at the 12-month point compared to baseline, further suggesting AOM's contribution to reducing side effects. Although 31 subjects reported adverse events, no instances of serious adverse events were documented. Discussion & Conclusion The findings of this study strongly suggest that efficacy becomes apparent early on when transitioning to AOM in patients undergoing antipsychotic polypharmacy within the routine clinical practice for schizophrenia patients in Korea. The observed improvements encompass not only enhanced functionality and amelioration of clinical symptoms but also a significant reduction in medication quantity and dosage.