Prescribing Antipsychotics in Montenegro: a Focus Group Analysis

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 SAŽETAK Uvod. Mada je propisivanje antipsihotika pacijentima sa šizofrenijom regulisano nacionalnim i/ili međunarodnim smernicama dobre kliničke prakse, zasnovanim na dokazima, primena ovih smernica u praksi je daleko od željene. Cilj. Cilj naše studije je bio da proceni koliko se psihijatri u Crnoj Gori pridržavaju smernica prilikom propisivanja antipsihotika, i da identifi kuje eventualne prepreke za njihovu punu primenu. Metod. U studiji je korišćena matodologija fokus grupe. Fokus grupu su sačinjavali dva psihijatra, jedan psiholog, jedan farmaceut iz vanbolničke apoteke, jedan farmaceut iz Fonda zdravstvenog osiguranja, jedan farmaceut predstavnik veledrogerije i glavni istraživač, klinički farmakolog. Sastanak fokus grupe je održan u Podgorici, Crna Gora, tokom 2013. godine. Analiza fonografskih zapisa sa sastanka je rađena iterativnom kvalitativnom tehnikom i metodom stalnog poređenja. Rezultati. Najvažnije prepreke za punu primenu vodiča za lečenje šizofrenije su ne-pridržavanje propisanoj terapiji, nedovoljno učešće pacijenata u donošenju odluka o njihovom lečenju, komplikovana administrativna procedura za propisivanje atipičnih antipsihotika, nedostupnost novijih antipsihotika i nekih doznih formi, kao i pomešanost primarnih, sekundarnih i tercijernih zdravstvenih usluga u bolnicama namenjenim samo za tercijernu zaštitu. Conclusion. Obraćanje pažnje na prepreke za primenu smernica koje je identifi kovala focus grupa i popravljanje adherence pacijenata su prvi koraci ka boljem planiranju psihijatrijske zdravstvene zaštite u Crnoj Gori.