The consumption of the antipsychotic medicinal product Zyprexa® decreased during 2004. The decrease in consumption has taken place following EMEA’s announcement in March 2004 about a heightened risk of death and brain haemorrhage from treating elderly dementia patients with Zyprexa®. Hence, the consumption has especially decreased among the elderly. Studies of Risperdal® have also shown an elevated risk particularly of brain haemorrhage, yet the consumption of Risperdal® has not decreased.
Consumption of Zyprexa® and Risperdal® among elderly people in 2004
From April to December 2004, the consumption of Zyprexa® fell by 24% compared to the same period in 2003. Of the 6,565 people aged 65 or more who used at least one prescription for Zyprexa® in the period October 2003 to March 2004, 2,296 people (i.e. 35%) stopped using Zyprexa® after March 2004. An analysis of the consumption of antipsychotic medicinal products among elderly people during 1996-2003 can be found on this website in the report "Consumption of antipsychotics in Denmark among the elderly" (an English summary is available).
Users of Zyprexa® change to Seroquel®
Of the 2,296 people who have stopped redeeming prescriptions for Zyprexa®, 590 have switched to a different antipsychotic, 198 have switched to a sedative or a sleeping medicine (benzodiazepine), and 583 have stopped taking any antipsychotic. 766 persons no longer appear in the register as they have died (from unknown causes). 159 people either changed preparations previous to March 2004 or used more than one antipsychotic product at once and stopped their treatment with Zyprexa®. Of the 590 people who have changed to another antipsychotic, 36% have changed to the more recent antipsychotic Seroquel®, whereas 22% have changed to Risperdal®. Furthermore, 15% have changed to Cisordinol®.
