The total costs of schizophrenia increased to 2576 million Euros in 2013 in Spain, or 2.7% of the annual cost of health services. The hospitalizations, along with other intermediate resources, such as Day Hospital, etc., significantly contribute to the increase of economic burden. In Spain, the average hospital stay of schizophrenic patients is 18.24 days, totalling to an average cost of 6,753 Euros/patient (370.23 Euros/patient/day).

The sample selected included patients from both sexes, aged between 18 and 65 years old, with diagnostic criteria of schizophrenia (according to DSM-IV and ICD-10), admitted in the Mental Health Hospital Unit (MHHU), Úbeda between 2012 and 2013, with registered visits of at least 2 outpatient visits or 1 hospitalization related to the schizophrenia diagnosis (n = 48).

After the start of treatment with the injectable antipsychotic drug of prolonged duration, the number of patients that required hospitalization for any psychiatric motive went from 24 patients (49.7%) to 11 patients (22.4%; P < 0.001). The patients who started treatment with PAP during hospitalization had an average stay of 15.7 days, as compared to 18.24 days of average hospital stay due to schizophrenia in Spain. The direct costs of hospitalization stays due to psychiatric reasons decreased from 162,071.88 Euros to 74,282.95 Euros (P < 0.001).

This observational study shows us that the treatment with PAP reduced the average length of the hospital stay, and resulted in a decreased percentage of re-admissions as compared to oral treatments for schizophrenia. These data led to savings of more than 50% of the direct costs of hospitalization.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.