Objectives The aim was to compare adherence to antipsychotics (APs), healthcare resource utilization (HRU), and costs before and after once-every-3-months paliperidone palmitate (PP3M) initiation in patients with schizophrenia. Methods Medicaid data (Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri; 1/2014-3/2017) were used to identify adults with at least one PP3M claim, ≥ 12 months of pre-index enrollment, and at least two schizophrenia diagnoses. Adequate treatment with once-monthly paliperidone palmitate (PP1M) was required pre-PP3M transition. Generalized estimating equations were used to assess linear trends in adherence to APs, HRU, and costs over the four quarters pre-PP3M transition, and to compare monthly HRU and costs 6 months pre-and 12 months post-PP3M transition as well as adherence to APs 12 months pre-and post-PP3M transition. Results Among 324 patients initiated on PP3M, the mean age was 41.4 years and 36.1% were females. Over the four quarters pre-PP3M transition, the monthly number of emergency room visits, medical costs, and inpatient costs decreased, while pharmacy costs and adherence to APs increased. For patients with ≥ 12 months of follow-up (n = 151), adherence to APs (66.2 vs. 70.2%, p = 0.3758), total (US$3371 vs. US$3456; p = 0.7000), pharmacy (US$1805 vs. US$1870; p = 0.2960), and medical costs (US$1565 vs. US$1586; p = 0.9040) remained similar pre-and post-PP3M transition, while mean monthly number of 1-day mental institute visits (1.71 vs. 1.51; p < 0.01) and associated costs (US$260 vs. US$232, p = 0.01) decreased. Conclusions Adherence to APs, HRU, and costs were similar pre-and post-PP3M transition, suggesting that PP3M has no impact on monthly costs for patients adequately treated with PP1M, with the added flexibility of once-every-3-months dosing.
Key Points for Decision MakersOver the four quarters before once-every-3-months paliperidone palmitate (PP3M) transition, adherence to antipsychotics significantly improved and the increase in pharmacy costs was offset by decreasing medical costs, driven by a decrease in inpatient costs.Adherence to antipsychotics, monthly healthcare resource utilization, and monthly Medicaid spending remained similar before and after PP3M transition. These findings suggest that for patients adequately treated with once-monthly paliperidone palmitate, the transition to PP3M has no impact on monthly healthcare costs, with the added flexibility of once-every-3-months dosing.