The cohort included 18 869 adult patients living in the province of Quebec (Canada) with SZ and starting antipsychotic drugs between January 1998 and December 2005.
Results show that quetiapine and not using any antipsychotics were associated with an increased risk of [negative] mental and physical health events as compared to other drugs.
The second finding is the confirmation of better performance of clozapine. The results were robust across sensitivity analyses.
CONCLUSION:
Both findings call for an international public health and drug agencies surveillance of ‘real-world’ antipsychotic medication to ensure the optimal choices in treatment guidelines for SZ.