Adherence to Antipsychotics in Schizophrenia: Clinical Considerations-View Presentation

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In a recent American Psychiatric Association webinar, Dr. Oliver Freudenreich, an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, discussed the importance of adherence to antipsychotics in treating schizophrenia. The webinar, led by Deputy Medical Director Tristan Grindow, highlighted three primary objectives: identifying risk factors for non-adherence, assessing patient adherence through attitude (A), barriers (B), and compliance behavior (C), and developing tailored patient-specific treatment plans. Dr. Freudenreich emphasized that a good drug attitude is essential but not sufficient for adherence, while barriers like financial issues, cognitive difficulties, and social influences can impede medication adherence. Strategies to enhance adherence include patient-centered, environment-centered, and treatment-centered approaches, employing tactics like psychoeducation and consideration of long-acting injectables. He also touched on the role of teams in ensuring consistent adherence messaging and the potential for digital medicine to aid adherence, though with an awareness of privacy and accessibility concerns. Freudenreich concluded by encouraging clinicians to reflect on their adherence strategies critically to improve patient outcomes. The discussion concluded by emphasizing family engagement in treatment and the informed use of internet resources by patients.

Keywords

antipsychotics

schizophrenia

adherence

psychoeducation

treatment plans

digital medicine

Harvard Medical School

patient-centered

family engagement