Long-acting injectable risperidone (RLAI) is effective and well tolerated in maintenance treatment in patients with schizophrenia. This kind of formulations improves compliance, and it has been recently published that RLAI reduces relapse and hospitalizations.

To evaluate whether treatment with RILD for 6 months is able to improve hospitalization rates and length, compliance with treatment and polypharmacy.

Medical records of 52 patients who had been treated with RILD for at least 6 months were reviewed. Data referred to the 6 months previous to treatment start were compared to those from the 6 months after treatment initiation. The evaluated parameters were: sociodemographic characteristics, number and length of hospitalizations, compliance with pharmacological treatment, attendance to consultations, and polypharmacy rates.

Mean age was 32.2+_11.1 years. The most frequent diagnosis was paranoid schizophrenia (40%). The main reason for the start treatment with RLAI was non-compliance (65%). A reduction of 50% in the number of hospitalizarions was observed after 6 months of treatment with RLAI, as compared to the previous 6 months (36 vs 14). Moreover, length of inpatient stays was also reduced after treatment with RLAI (mean of 17 vs 13.7 days). Compliance with pharmacological treatment and attendance to psychiatric consultation were also improved.

RLAI seem to be able to reduce number and length of hospitalizations, and improves adherence to therapy, 6 months after the start of the treatment, in real life conditions.