SELF-REPORTED PRESCRIBING PRACTICES FOR SCHIZOPHRENIC-PATIENTS AMONG ISRAELI PSYCHIATRISTS

A ''Schizophrenia Prescribing Practices Questionnaire'' was developed and employed in order to obtain, directly from treating psychiatrists, information concerning their use of psychotropic medication in schizo phrenia. The analysis of data furnished by 56 survey participants work ing in various institutions and treatment settings pointed to the foll owing main findings: 1) the use of a wide range of antipsychotic (neur oleptic) drug dosages, 2) the use of high potency neuroleptics as the drugs of choice in all phases of treatment, 3) dissimilar dosing with the main high and low potency neuroleptics, 4) dissimilar haloperidol and chlorpromazine dosing in various types of treatment settings, 5) t he use of combinations of neuroleptics and prophylaxis with antiparkin sonian drugs by more than 40% of the sample. The results of the survey are discussed in the context of recent research advances and current treatment recommendations.