LONG-ACTING INJECTABLE ANTIPSYCHOTIC USE IN PATIENTS WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER: FINDINGS FROM REAP-BD STUDY

Abstract Background Bipolar disorder is a mental illness characterized by significant mood fluctuations and extreme mood swings. The standard treatment for bipolar disorder includes oral medication therapy and psychotherapy. For oral medications, a combination of mood stabilizers and antipsychotic medications is commonly prescribed, and may be supplemented with other psychotropics such as antidepressants, anxiolytics, and sedative-hypnotics. However, in recent years, long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIA) have emerged as a promising therapeutic option. Aims: To survey the use of LAIA in bipolar disorder across Asian countries, including China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Pakistan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Taiwan. Method: Data including demographics and medications of patients with bipolar disorder were collected through an online website-based system. Results A total of 2,121 prescription records were collected, and among them, 104 (4.9%) patients were prescribed LAIA, with the majority (76.9%) receiving first-generation antipsychotics. India, Myanmar, and Japan do not prescribe LAIA at all. The highest rate is Sri Lanka (20.0%), followed by Malaysia (16.9%), and Singapore (15.8%). Other countries had prescription rates of less than 10%. Compared with the group of oral medications, the LAIA group has a younger age, a higher psychotropic drug load, more male sex, and a higher body mass index. Discussion &Conclusion An extensive variation in the utilization of LAIA among patients with bipolar disorder was observed across different Asian countries, with the majority using FGA. This variation in prescription patterns warrants further investigation.