OBJECTIVES: Treatment continuation of 3 long acting, injectable, antipsychotic drugs: paliperidone palmitate, risperidone microspheres and haloperidol decanoate, was evaluated in the Belgian outpatient setting using panel data from public pharmacies. Drug dosage, age distribution and frequency of co-prescribed antipsychotic medications were investigated.  METHODS: IMS Lifelink^TM Treatment Dynamics database was used, applying appropriate selection criteria. Three patient cohorts that started paliperidone palmitate, risperidone microspheres or haloperidol decanoate treatment respectively, between 1 December 2011 and 31 August 2012, were analyzed. All cohorts included at least 13 months of follow up. Treatment continuation was investigated. RESULTS: After 90 and 180 days, more patients continued treatment with paliperidone palmitate (60,71% and 42,41% respectively) than with risperidone microspheres (39,07% and 26,49% ) or haloperidol decanoate (34,23% and 17,57%). Within 3 months after discontinuation, more patients restarted their treatment when using paliperidone palmitate (41%) compared to risperidone microspheres (27%) or haloperidol decanoate (17%). For all therapies, dosing was comparable between treatment initiation and discontinuation. Patients treated with paliperidone palmitate were generally younger (patients ≤ 32 years:  paliperidone palmitate, 26%; risperidone microspheres, 17%; or haloperidol decanoate, 5%). Over 1 year, on average 62% of patients used paliperidone palmitate or risperidone microspheres in monotherapy. In contrast, haloperidol decanoate in monotherapy declined over time (from 49% to 28% in 1 year). Medication against extrapyramidal symptoms was on average more used with haloperidol decanoate (37%) than with paliperidone palmitate (16%) or risperidone microspheres (18%). CONCLUSIONS: Results of the database research indicate that more patients treated with paliperidone palmitate continued their therapy, restarted therapy and were of younger age than patients receiving risperidone microspheres or haloperidol decanoate. Monotherapy was more frequently observed with paliperidone palmitate and risperidone microspheres while co-medication against extrapyramidal symptoms was less frequently used compared to with haloperidol decanoate.