<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> Background. Although prescribing antipsychotics to patients with schizophrenia is advised by national and/or international evidence-based practice guidelines, the implementation of the guidelines in clinical practice is still matter of concern. Objective. The aim of our study was to estimate schizophrenia guideline adherence and identify eventual barriers to its implementation in Montenegro. Method. This study used focus group methodology. The focus group was composed of two psychiatrists, one psychologist, one pharmacist from a community pharmacy, one pharmacist from the State reimbursement fund, one pharmacist from a drug wholesaler and the chief investigator, a clinical pharmacologist. The focus group took place in Podgorica, Montenegro, in 2013. The analysis of recordings was performed using an iterative, qualitative technique and a constant comparison method. Results. The most important barriers to the implementation of evidence-based guidelines for the treatment of schizophrenia in Montenegro are non-adherence to medication, low level of psychiatrist-patient concordance, restrictive procedures for prescribing atypical antipsychotics, lack of availability of newer antipsychotics and some dosage forms, and mixing primary, secondary and tertiary care services within a tertiary care psychiatric institution. Conclusion. Addressing the barriers identified by this focus group and avoiding the consequences of poor adherence would be the first</abstract>

Background. Although prescribing antipsychotics to patients with schizophrenia is advised by national and/or international evidence-based practice guidelines, the implementation of the guidelines in clinical practice is still matter of concern. Objective. The aim of our study was to estimate schizophrenia guideline adherence and identify eventual barriers to its implementation in Montenegro. Method. This study used focus group methodology. The focus group was composed of two psychiatrists, one psychologist, one pharmacist from a community pharmacy, one pharmacist from the State reimbursement fund, one pharmacist from a drug wholesaler and the chief investigator, a clinical pharmacologist. The focus group took place in Podgorica, Montenegro, in 2013. The analysis of recordings was performed using an iterative, qualitative technique and a constant comparison method. Results. The most important barriers to the implementation of evidence-based guidelines for the treatment of schizophrenia in Montenegro are non-adherence to medication, low level of psychiatrist-patient concordance, restrictive procedures for prescribing atypical antipsychotics, lack of availability of newer antipsychotics and some dosage forms, and mixing primary, secondary and tertiary care services within a tertiary care psychiatric institution. Conclusion. Addressing the barriers identified by this focus group and avoiding the consequences of poor adherence would be the first

Prescribing Antipsychotics in Montenegro: a Focus Group Analysis

Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Serbia

Experimental and Applied Biomedical Research (EABR)

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"Prescribing Antipsychotics in Montenegro: a Focus Group Analysis"}

Background. Although prescribing antipsychotics to patients with schizophrenia is advised by national and/or international evidence-based practice guidelines,...

Prescribing Antipsychotics in Montenegro: a Focus Group Analysis

Published Online: Apr 23, 2014

Page range: 39 - 42

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjecr-2014-0006

Keywords
Schizophrenia, treatment guidelines, nonadherence, concordance

© 2014

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Prescribing Antipsychotics in Montenegro: a Focus Group Analysis

Published Online: Apr 23, 2014

Page range: 39 - 42

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjecr-2014-0006

KeywordsSchizophrenia, treatment guidelines, nonadherence, concordance

© 2014

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Schizophrenia, treatment guidelines, nonadherence, concordance