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Risperdal Consta·Psychiatry - Depot Antipsychotics
Maintenance treatment of Schizophrenia and Bipolar I disorder
Max Dose
50 mg Q2W
Half-life
3-6 Days
PO Overlap
3 WEEKS
Cold Chain
REQUIRED
Overview
The original atypical long-acting injection. Uses a complex microsphere delivery system that creates a massive 3-week delay before the drug actually releases into the blood.
Maximum Dose
Max 50 mg every 2 weeks.
Clinical Focus
The patient MUST take oral Risperidone every single day for exactly 3 weeks after the first injection. If they do not, they will have zero antipsychotic in their blood.
Bottom Line
Risperidone LAI is a fortnightly long-acting injectable for schizophrenia maintenance, but requires 3 weeks of oral supplementation at initiation and causes hyperprolactinaemia.
Brand Names
Risperdal Consta
Parenteral
Powder and diluent for reconstitution. MUST be stored in the refrigerator (Cold Chain).
Prescribing & PBS
Authority Required (PBS).
Primary
Maintenance treatment of Schizophrenia and Bipolar I disorder.
Clinical Place
Largely superseded by Paliperidone (Invega) due to the lack of cold-chain requirement and lack of oral overlap, but still used in historically stable patients.