Medication non-adherence is a significant risk factor for rehospitalisation in schizophrenia patients. Delayed release formulations like R-LAI may reduce rehospitalisation.

To examine the association between R-LAI use and hospitalisation in schizophrenia patients.

To assess the effect of R-LAI, compared to non-use and use of other antipsychotic drugs, on the risk of hospitalization in real-life settings.

The CGS study recruited schizophrenia patients from 177 public and private wards of psychiatric hospitals across France. Inclusion criteria were schizophrenia (DSM-IV), age 15–65 years, ambulatory/hospitalised for < 93 days at entry. Patients were followed up to 12 months for antipsychotic use and hospitalisation. The recruitment was stratified for long-acting second generation antipsychotic use. Multivariate Poisson regression adjusted for confounding with propensity scores and allowing for autocorrelation was used to estimate relative rates of hospitalisation.

Of 2092 eligible patients, 1859 were included. Their mean age was 38.1 ± 11.1 years, 68.6% were male and 37.8% were hospitalised for < 93 days at entry. A total of 1659 patients (89.2%) were followed up for 12 months, accumulating 933 hospital stays (53.0 per 100 person-years). Compared to other schizophrenia patients, patients on R-LAI were younger, had more often a history of previous hospitalisation for equivalent severity, living conditions and other characteristics. The adjusted relative rate of hospitalisation for R-LAI use against non-use was 0.66 [95% CI 0.46–0.96], and 0.53 [95% CI 0.32–0.88] against long-acting first generation antipsychotics.

Use of R-LAI was associated with lower rates of hospitalization compared to non-use of R-LAI.