Community-Based Psychiatric Care Provision in Hungary: Trends and Steps towards Progress.

Psychiatric care has undergone several cycles of profound changes in the past centuries all over the world. In Hungary, community-based outpatient care has been showing signs of evolution since the 1950s. Initially, the system centered on assertive outreach and family involvement, especially for those with serious mental health problems.

[Costs of treatment in patients with schizophrenia switched to amisulpride--one-year follow-up].

Objectives: In our present research we have studied the costs associated with switching schizophrenia patients to amisulpride as well as the efficacy of amisulpride treatment. We wanted to explore whether the relatively higher costs of amisulpride can be recovered under the current Hungarian economic and financing conditions.

Methods: From 2002, we analysed clinical improvement with a 6 months follow-up measured by CGI and also compared the costs that were incurred before and after switching in 76 patients suffering from schizophrenia who received amisulpride instead of their previous treatment with typical or atypical antipsychotics.

[Costs related to change to amisulpride in patients suffering from schizophrenia].

Objectives: The present research studied the cost effects of converting patients suffering from schizophrenia to the use of amisulpride, in order to learn whether the relatively higher medicine costs were compensated for under the Hungarian economic and financing conditions.

Methods: We analysed and compared costs having occurred before and after conversion in the case of 76 patients suffering from schizophrenia who got amisulpride instead of other typical or atypical antipsychotics in hospital. The analysis adhered to the methodology introduced by Agnes Rupp.