Once-monthly subcutaneously administered risperidone in the treatment of schizophrenia: Patient considerations

Adherence to antipsychotic medications is a major challenge in schizophrenia. Long-acting injectable antipsychotics have been shown to offer advantages over oral for-mulations. A new extended release formulation of risperidone for subcutaneous injection was developed to address issues of non-adherence. The aim of this manuscript was to compare the new subcutaneous formulation to currently available formulations of injectable risper-idone and paliperidone to determine whether the novel delivery by subcutaneous injection may provide substantial benefits. A literature search was conducted using PubMed, OVID, and Cochrane Library electronic databases to assess the advantages and disadvantages of long-acting formulations of risperidone. Potential advantages of risperidone for subcutaneous injection include a simplified dosing and ease of administration. Potential disadvantages include injection site pain and medication cost.