A study of patterns of neuroleptic dosage for 206 schizophrenic
inpatients showed significant differences over time and among three
centers--a general hospital psychiatric unit, a community mental health
center, and a state hospital. In 1982 patients' mean dose at discharge was
higher than the peak mean daily dose in 1973, and high-potency neuroleptics
were being used almost exclusively. The mean length of stay decreased from
49 days in 1973 to 34 days in 1982. The possible relationship, if any,
between increasing dosage, decreased length of stay, and the switch from
low-potency to high-potency neuroleptics remains undetermined.
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