While the paliperidone palmitate (PP) cohort had higher mental-health prescription costs compared with the oral antipsychotic therapy (OAT) cohort, over half of the acquisition costs were offset by lower inpatient and outpatient care costs.

PP use showed reductions in the odds of inpatient and outpatient healthcare utilization and associated costs over the 12-month follow-up period.

The study suggests that patients with schizophrenia taking once-monthly PP may experience less inpatient and outpatient healthcare services utilization and associated costs than patients taking OAT.