A NATURALISTIC STUDY OF CLINICAL USE OF RISPERIDONE

Follow-up data on 97 of the 101 patients at a university-based psychia tric hospital for whom risperidone had been prescribed between Februar y 1994, when the medication was introduced, and October 1996 were revi ewed an average of 102, weeks after the start of the medication. Only 28.9 percent of the patients were still on risperidone at follow-up. P atients who were maintained on risperidone were able to tolerate a hig her close with fewer side effects. The most common reasons for discont inuation were failure to achieve a therapeutic effect, noncompliance, and adverse side effects. The findings of this naturalistic study repr esent a cautionary consideration for the remarkable enthusiasm that su rrounded the introduction of risperidone.