Antipsychotics are widely used for the short and long-term treatment of bipolar disorder. Depot and long-acting injectable formulations (LAIs) can be particularly useful for certain subgroups of patients. This lecture will discuss the available data from randomized controlled trials of LAIs in bipolar disorder. A recently published meta-analysis and individual studies assessing depot medications, as well as modern LAIs such as risperidone, paliperidone and aripiprazole, will be reviewed, looking carefully into the prevention of either pole of illness and tolerability. Potential indications and patient profile, based on data and clinical experience, will be discussed.