High-dose and combination strategies involving atypical antipsychotics (AAPs) are used in clinical practice for patients with schizophrenia who are inadequately controlled with one or more AAPs used at standard doses. A recent meta-analysis found no clinically significant improvements in patients with schizophrenia who were inadequately controlled on standard-dose antipsychotics when treated with combination or high-dose AAPs. In terms of safety, no clinically significant differences were evident between combination or high-dose therapy in comparison with standard-dose monotherapy.
Sources:
Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health. A systematic review of combination and high-dose atypical antipsychotic therapy in patients with schizophrenia. Optimal Use Report: CADTH Volume 1, Issue 1B [Internet]. 2011 Dec [cited 2017 May 5].
Fisher MD, et al. Antipsychotic patterns of use in patients with schizophrenia: polypharmacy versus monotherapy. BMC Psychiatry. 2014 Nov 30;14:341. PMID: 25433495.