Extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS), including tardive dyskinesia (TD), may result from exposure to antipsychotics. TD is often irreversible, may be debilitating, and cause additional burden to patients with underlying psychiatric conditions.

To assess the impact of developing TD, both with and without other EPS, on healthcare resource utilization (HRU).

Data on patients receiving antipsychotics who had schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, or bipolar disorder were extracted from a Medicaid claims database. Patients from the TD cohorts (TD+EPS and TD non-EPS) were matched to those in the non-TD/EPS cohort at ∼1:5 ratio. HRU outcomes associated with TD were assessed.

TD+EPS (n=289) and TD non-EPS (n=394) cohorts were matched with 1398 and 1922 control patients, respectively. The percentage of patients with all-cause and mental disorder-related inpatient admissions increased from baseline to follow-up in the TD+EPS (12.8% and 12.5%, respectively) and TD non-EPS (16.0% and 13.5%) cohorts, in contrast with slight decreases (∼3%) in matched controls. A higher percentage of patients in the TD cohorts had medical admissions/visits and claims for drugs that might be used to address TD or EPS than their matched controls at baseline and follow-up. The within-cohort change from baseline to follow-up in the use of potential drugs for TD or EPS was similar between the TD cohorts and their matched controls; however, both TD cohorts exhibited a larger increase in crisis–non-specific psychotherapy services versus matched controls.

Results demonstrated increased HRU in TD patients with or without other pre-existing EPS, compared with matched controls.

Presented at: Psych Congress; September 16–19, 2017; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

This study was funded by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Petach Tikva, Israel.