With the increasing number of second-generation antipsychotics in depot/LAI  form, there emerges the question about their advantages and disadvantages in prescribing them  to patients with schizophrenia. Also, the time of availability of use of this form and increasing empirical experience, are influencing the psychiatrists view of position of this medication form in the therapy of schizophrenia.
We focused on finding the differences in opinion of Slovak psychiatrists on the use of this cure in some specific situations in the therapy of schizophrenia. We realized our research via questionnaire presented to psychiatrists in hospitals and/or outpatient practice in June 2015 (n=47) and subsequently in June 2018 (n=43).
First part was focused on preferences of depot or oral form of the medication. In 2018, depot/LAI medication was preferred by psychiatrists (in more than 85% of cases) when low compliance, poor insight or frequent episodes. In contrast, oral form of antipsychotic medication was preferred if patient was of young age, economically active. Relatively lower impact on the choice of medication was proved by the type of symptoms (positive, negative), where the preference of the depot form was relatively the lowest.
Depot/LAI antipsychotic therapy is, according to opinion of psychiatrists, not suitable in first episode of schizophrenia (74% of respondents), on the other hand in second or third episode it wouldn’t be indicated only by 7% of respondents.
In the terms of tendencies to indicate depot antipsychotics, second-generation antipsychotics were preferred in the cases of adverse events (85%), negative symptomatology (81%) and short lasting of psychotic disorder (67%). We didn´t find the preference of the first-generation antipsychotics in any specific therapy situation.
Within the comparison of opinion on the indication of depot/LAI medication between the years 2015-2018, the most significant change was found in preferences in young patients (increase from 13% to 44%) and in economically active people (from 0,23% to 0,48%).
Very significant move happened also in decision-making between the types of depot antipsychotics. In every explored situation, the second-generation agent was preferred, the most significantly in the indication in chronic forms of schizophrenia (increase from 22% in 2015 to 59% in 2018).

14 - THE CHANGE IN PERCEPTION OF DEPOT/LAI ANTIPSYCHOTIC TREATMENT ACCORDING TO VIEW OF SLOVAK PSYCHIATRISTS. COMPARISON 2015/2018.