Lack of extrapyramidal side effects predicts quality of life in outpatients treated with clozapine or with typical antipsychotics.

We compared symptom severity and quality of life (QOL) in schizophrenic patients adequately treated with typical antipsychotics (TAP) or clozapine (CZP). Groups did not differ in symptom severity or QOL. Clozapine caused fewer extrapyramidal symptoms. Negative and extrapyramidal symptoms predicted QOL. Similar outcome in both groups suggests a common ceiling to antipsychotic efficacy.

[Mental Health Residents: Knowledge on prices and availability of drugs they prescribe]. / Conocimiento de residentes de Salud Mental sobre precios y disponibilidad de los fármacos que prescriben.

OBJECTIVES: The cost and availability of psychiatric drugs is an important aspect for patient adherence to treatment. Therefore, Psychiatry Residents were interviewed about what drugs were most usually prescribed by them, their estimated price, free availability in their hospitals and access to literature about drug costs in the services. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During the VI Congress of Residents in Mental Health of the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires, a structured interview was administered to Psychiatry Residents. A form was used containing open and close questions. The questionnaire was not self administered. Sixty eight Psychiatry Residents of fourteen Public Hospitals of the Capital and Province of Buenos Aires were interviewed. RESULTS: The drugs most frequently chosen in each pharmacological group were: haloperidol 24 percent, fluoxetine 43 per cent, clonazepan 39 percent and carbamazepine 34 per cent 82 percent of the questions regarding the knowledge about prescribed drug costs were incorrect. 57 per cent of the drugs chosen were not available at the Hospitals whereas 69 per cent of the drugs that were never selected were available. CONCLUSIONS: In this descriptive study, we found an important lack of knowledge on drug costs, little access to literature about this subject and availability of drugs not adequated to the Residents choices.