Switching to Injectable Aripiprazole for Noncompliance

Primary Indication: Documented Noncompliance

Patients who are irregular in taking medications are particularly appropriate candidates for LAI given the well-established relationship between non-adherence and risk of relapse, as indicated by the British Journal of Psychiatry 1
Adherence has been demonstrated to be superior with long-acting injectables compared with oral medications, directly addressing patient noncompliance issues, according to Praxis Medical Insights 2

LAI formulations are associated with reduced psychiatric hospitalization risk (7-13% lower risk compared to oral monotherapy in large cohort studies), as reported by the National Institute of Health, similar to findings in the journal Drugs 3

The British Journal of Psychiatry guidelines explicitly state that any patient for whom long-term treatment is indicated should be considered a candidate for LAI, and even if patients initially refuse this option, clinicians should work with them through the therapeutic alliance to help them understand the potential advantages, as recommended by the British Journal of Psychiatry 1
Treatment should start as soon as possible after improvement of acute symptoms, making discharge an appropriate time for this transition, as suggested by the British Journal of Psychiatry 1