Trend of antipsychotic monotherapy
The rate of antipsychotic monotherapy in 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021
were 32.0%, 33.7%, 32.8%, 37.6% and 41.5%, respectively, and the
rate of dual-agent antipsychotic use were 36.7%, 37.4%, 39.4%, 41.9%
and 41.9%, respectively (Table 1). The rate of patients taking three or
more drugs were 18.7%, 18.5%, 18.0%, 14.0% and 9.4%, respectively
(Table 1).
The average number of antipsychotic medications taken trended downward
from 2.0 to 1.7 (r = -0.938, p = 0.018) (Table 2). The percentage of
patients receiving complete antipsychotic monotherapy without
psychotropic medications other than antipsychotics in 2001, 2006, 2011,
2016 and 2021 were only 2.5%, 4.5%, 5.9%, 7.7% and 8.8%, but and
increased significantly (χ2 = 32.3, df = 1, p =
1.3x10-8) (Fig 1). On the other hand, the rate of SGA
use in 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021 were 28.9%, 49.2%, 61.4%,
65.4% and 70.5%, respectively, and when analyzing the prescription
rates of these drugs over the past 20 years, the trend over the past 20
years was an increasing trend (χ2 = 286.2, df = 1,
p<2.2x10-16) (Table 2). The average number
of SGAs used trended upward from 1.1 to 1.3 (Table 2). The rate of SGA
monotherapy use was in 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021 were only 9.1%,
16.3%, 18.9%, 23.2% and 29.3%, respectively, but there was an
increasing trend over the past 20 years (χ2 = 32.3, df = 1, p =
1.3x10-8) was observed (Fig 1). The complete
monotherapy rates for SGAs without other psychotropic medications in
2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021 were only 0.7%, 2.7%, 3.5%, 5.0% and
6.3%, respectively, but the rates showed an increasing trend over the
past 20 years (χ2 = 37.6, df = 1, p = 8.9x10-10) (Fig
1). On the other hand, the rate of FGA use in 2021 was 54.8%, and a
decreasing trend was observed over the past 20 years. The average number
of FGAs used trended downward, from 1.9 to 1.4 (Table 2).