Product Liability Litigation May Jeopardize Treatment Outcomes For People With Severe Mental Illnesses

Thursday, March 1, 2007

OutcomesFor People With Severe Mental Illnesses (NAPSA)—A new survey shows that fears raised by product liability litigation involving antipsy- chotic drugs may be putting patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder at risk for relapse. These fears add to the already heavy burden that patients face as they work with their treatment providers to improve their mental and physical health. The survey, which was conducted among 402 psychiatrists who treat patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, showed that, even when patients were responding well to their prescribed antipsychotic treatment, “Many of our patients already struggle with accepting their illness and staying on their prescribed treatment and now they are experiencing new levels offear.” — Dr. Ralph Aquila relapse as a result of discontinuing medication. The findings from this survey, which was commissioned by the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare and Eli Lilly and Company, confirm trends in clinical practice that many peo- change because these drugs are ple in the mental health community have observed, but that have not been quantified until now. ments. Other patients stopped cially pertinent given the number without telling their psychiatrist, helping patients stay adherent to many requested a medication featured in law firm advertise- taking their medication, often for the same reason. “Many of our patients already struggle with accepting their illness and staying on their prescribed treatment, and now they The survey results are espe- of barriers that already exist in their treatment. Among the many challenges psychiatrists noted they faced when selecting an antipsy- chotic medication to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, the due to the increasing incidence of five most challenging issues identified were side effects (75 percent), clinical professor of psychiatry, Columbia College of Physicians ness to accept illness (73 percent), medication costs (58 percent), lack of adherence due to lack of support are experiencing new levels of fear these jarring advertisements,” said Dr. Ralph Aquila, assistant and Surgeons; director, residential community services, St Luke’sRoosevelt Hospital Center, New York, N.Y. “This advertising is hindering the progress of therapy and disrupting the important rela- tionship between patients and their healthcare providers.” Ninety-seven percent of surveyed psychiatrists had one or more patients who stopped taking medication or reduced their dosage. Of these psychiatrists, 52 percent believed patients took this action due to law firm advertise- ments about antipsychotic drugs. Of these psychiatrists, 93 percent stated that one or more of their patients made medication changes without consulting them first, and the majority of these psychiatrists (94 percent) reported patient lack of adherence due to unwilling- (50 percent), and co-occurring men- tal illnesses (49 percent). Additionally, more than half (55 percent) of surveyed psychiatrists indicated that they had changed their prescribing prac- tices over the last five years due to product liability cases involving antipsychotic medications—and reported frustration and concern that this type of litigation some- times interferes with patient treatment. Resources are available for clinicians who treat severe mental illness through the National Council at www.nccbh.org and Lilly at www.treatmentteam.com. Additional survey findings are also available on the National Council’s Web site. The survey was fundedby Lilly.

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