Clinical Experience on the Use of a Single-day, Two-injection Start Initiation Regimen of Aripiprazole Once Monthly in Patients With Schizophrenia in Spain: SaTISfy Study

Abstract

Objective: The two-injection start (TIS) initiation regimen was recently approved for aripiprazole once monthly 400 mg (AOM400), with potential benefits in adherence. The SaTISfy study described in this article analyzed Spanish psychiatrists’ perspectives on hospitalization lengths of stay, schizophrenia management, and the use of AOM400-TIS. Methods: The authors describe an ecological study of aggregated data collected using a 41-question survey. Fifty psychiatrists were asked to provide their perceptions of their patients with schizophrenia and treatment with AOM400. Results: The psychiatrists reported that lack of treatment adherence was the main reason for hospitalization for 58.3% of their patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. Aripiprazole, in any formulation, was the most commonly prescribed therapeutic option, being prescribed for a mean (SD) of 2.5 (0.9) out of 5 patients, while 98% of psychiatrists chose AOM400-TIS for patients who failed to adhere to previous treatments. Patients with schizophrenia, regardless of their treatment, were hospitalized for an average of 17.7 (3.93) days versus patients with schizophrenia treated with AOM400-TIS, who were hospitalized for an average of 14.2 (4.18) days, a reduction of 3.5 (3.86) days. Patients treated with AOM400-TIS showed a reduction of 5 (4.18) days compared with the mean national duration of hospitalization for acute patients in psychiatry units in Spain (19.18 d). The surveyed psychiatrists reported that AOM400-TIS improved safety and tolerability. Most of the psychiatrists were satisfied with the administration and results of AOM400-TIS. Most of the psychiatrists (90%) also reported that fewer health care resources were consumed with AOM400-TIS, mainly due to a reduction in hospitalization days and in the use of concomitant medications. Conclusions: AOM400-TIS was considered to have a positive impact on the duration of hospitalization and thus on the use of health care resources. There was a positive perception of adherence, safety, and tolerability with the use of AOM400-TIS in patients with schizophrenia.