Psychiatrists get low marks in assessing adherence
EXPERT ANALYSIS FROM THE NCDEU MEETING
"Collectively, these findings suggest that there is an opportunity for prescribers to increase active patient engagement, address resistance about LAIs, and provide better LAI-relevant information for more individualized options and approaches to treating patients with schizophrenia," concluded Dr. Potkin, professor of psychiatry and director of the brain imaging center at the University of California, Irvine.
Dr. Potkin’s study was funded by Otsuka American Pharmaceutical and H. Lundbeck. He reported receiving research support from roughly 20 pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Velligan reported having no financial conflicts.
The NOB Checklist
The NOB checklist is aimed at helping clinicians working in community health centers to quickly determine whether patients are adherent.
Here is a listing of the five simple questions:
1) Based upon the patient’s report, caregiver report, or your prescribing record, has the patient missed doses such that 30% or more of the medication has been missed?
2) Is the patient currently on more than one antipsychotic (not during a switch)?
3) Has the patient been on more than two antipsychotics in the past 12 months?
4) Has the patient been hospitalized or had a crisis visit in the past 12 months?
5) Is the patient not satisfied with the current level of symptom control?
A "yes" answer to any of these questions warrants offering a long-acting injectable antipsychotic agent to this patient.
Source: Dr. Velligan
