A cost-analysis of risperidone in the treatment of chronic schizophrenia with predominating negative symptoms in Hong Kong

Abstract

A comparative study of risperidone and conventional anti-psychotic therapy was performed for out-patients with schizophrenia with predominantly negative symptoms. After 3 months, there was a significant change in the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms and Clinical Global Impression scores in the patients receiving risperidone, together with a better employment status. Both treatments appeared to be cost-beneficial, but risperidone was more cost-effective compared with conventional anti-psychotic therapy for this group of patients. Various limitations of the study are discussed and some clinical implications that warrant further studies to confirm the present findings have been suggested.