Attitudinal Barriers to Prescribing LAI Antipsychotics in the Outpatient Setting: Communicating With Patients, Families, and Caregivers

Patients with schizophrenia who are nonadherent to medication are at risk for repeated relapse and rehospitalization from this chronic and lifelong mental illness. Effective, oral medications can be difficult for patients to maintain on a daily basis, and long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics can help to alleviate this challenge. However, some physicians’ attitudinal barriers that need to be overcome include the belief that patients do not have adherence problems, concerns about LAI antipsychotic efficacy over traditional oral agents, the perception that the time and cost to administer this formulation outweighs its benefit, and the perception that injectable medications undermine patients’ autonomy. A better understanding of LAIs and their potential benefits may help physicians to implement a long-term treatment plan that provides the best outcome for patients.

From the Department of Psychiatry, The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks; the Department of Psychiatry, Hofstra North Shore-Long Island Jewish School of Medicine, Uniondale; and Behavior Health Services, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, New Hyde Park, New York.

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