COMPLIANCE, QUALITY ASSURANCE AND STANDARDS FOR RELAPSE PREVENTION INSCHIZOPHRENIA

The treatment and, above all, the prophylaxis of schizophrenic psychos es has made great progress in the last 40 years due to the introductio n of the neuroleptics and the use of psychosocial treatment strategies . Unfortunately, the potentialities inherent in neuroleptic relapse pr evention are far from being fully utilized. As a consequence, the rela pse rate for this severe mental illness is still 3 times higher than i t ought to be. In view of the severe consequences of this disease for each individual patient and his family, but also in view of the immens e costs incurred by each relapse, we must not rest content with this s ituation. By use of compliance improving measures and quality assuranc e it would probably be possible within a few years to increase the eff iciency of neuroleptic relapse prevention so far as to reduce the high relapse rates of schizophrenic patients at least by half. It is time we began trying.