A Naturalistic Study of Clinical Use of Risperidone

Follow-up data on 97 of the 101 patients at a university-based psychiatric hospital for whom risperidone had been prescribed between February 1994, when the medication was introduced, and October 1996 were reviewed an average of 102 weeks after the start of the medication. Only 28.9 percent of the patients were still on risperidone at follow-up. Patients who were maintained on risperidone were able to tolerate a higher dose with fewer side effects. The most common reasons for discontinuation were failure to achieve a therapeutic effect, noncompliance, and adverse side effects. The findings of this naturalistic study represent a cautionary consideration for the remarkable enthusiasm that surrounded the introduction of risperidone.