NEUROLEPTIC DOSING IN HISPANIC AND ASIAN INPATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA

This study is the second in a series examining the prescribing of anti psychotic medication to patients with schizophrenia in cross-cultural clinical programs. A computer search identified all patients with the diagnosis of ''schizophrenia'' treated during a 1-year period in an in patient Hispanic and Asian psychiatric unit(s); second computer search identified a matched (admission date) sample of Angle patients from t he general inpatient psychiatry services. The medication variables inc luded type of neuroleptic drug used, the maximum dose, the stabilized dose (i.e., neuroleptic dose at discharge) and the dose associated wit h first report of extrapyramidal symptoms. Neuroleptic doses were conv erted to chlorpromazine (CPZ) equivalents and corrected for body weigh t to a standard of 68 kg. One-way analysis of variance procedures were used to compare both actual and standardized neuroleptic CPZ across t he three samples; these statistical comparisons were completed for bot h maximum and stabilized dose(s). The analysis with maximum dose revea led a significant main effect for both actual (p < 0.05) and standardi zed CPZ (p < 0.05). Similar results were also found for stabilized dos e with both actual (p < 0.05) and standardized CPZ (p < 0.05). Examina tion of the direction of mean differences for both medication dosing v ariables using both CPZ comparisons revealed that the patients in gene ral sample received significantly larger doses of antipsychotic medica tion than either Asian or Hispanic patients.