A new resource on the “why didn’t anyone mention this sooner” problem
Teva Pharmaceuticals launched a new site this week called LongActingImpact.com, aimed at helping psychiatrists talk with patients about long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics — the once-a-month-or-longer shots that take the daily pill decision off the table entirely. The numbers Teva cites in the launch (worth reading as industry-sourced, not independent research) are still striking: 67% of people prescribed daily oral antipsychotics for schizophrenia become nonadherent or stop taking them altogether, and roughly 80% experience multiple relapses within five years of starting treatment.
The line that stood out to us came from Dr. Bryce Reynolds of Carolina Outreach, quoted in coverage of the launch: patients often don’t hear about LAIs as an option until after they’ve already relapsed. That’s a familiar frustration for a lot of caregiver families — the sense that the system waits for a crisis before mentioning the thing that might have prevented it.
The site itself is built for clinicians, not families. But that’s exactly why it’s worth knowing about: if daily pills have been a losing battle for someone you’re caring for, this gives you the vocabulary to be the one who raises long-acting injectables at the next appointment — instead of waiting to hear about them after things fall apart.
ResourcesforSMI. Subscribe now for all the technology news for the community with serious mental illness.
Connected Care: A Practical Guide to Technology for Serious Mental Illness. Get yours today.
