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Medication Utilization

While controlled research is absolutely necessary for competent clinical practice, expertise developed in clinical practice often outpaces research.  One way to access the expertise derived from clinical practice is to observe prescribing practices and patterns of medication utilization.  Patterns of medication utilization often reflect ecological factors that may not be captured in clinical trials, such as medication compliance associated with patient tolerance of side effects, caretaker judgments, and financial costs. 

Nael Kilzieh, M.D., an MSP investigator and clinical assistant professor at the University of Washington, is currently conducting a review of the utilization of risperidone and olanzapine at the VA Puget Sound.  Preliminary findings from this study suggest that clinicians find the overall viability of these medications to be superior to that of other antipsychotics and comparable to each other for patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. 

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