OBJECTIVES: To describe the demographics, prescription drug utilization, medication adherence, and pharmacy costs for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plan members initiated on paliperidone palmitate (PALI-PALM), a long-acting antipsychotic for treating schizophrenia. METHODS: The Humana pharmacy claims database was used to identify Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plan members with a pharmacy claim for PALI-PALM between September 1, 2009, and December 31, 2010. Six-month preindex and postindex observation periods were used to assess medication utilization and medication-related costs for patients starting PALI-PALM. Medication possession ratio (MPR) for PALI-PALM was calculated using a fixed denominator of six months. RESULTS: Four hundred forty-one patients met the inclusion criteria. Mean (±SD) age was 46.9 (±12.6) years. Three hundred ninety-seven patients (90.0%) had a low-income subsidy (LIS), and 331 (75.1%) were dually eligible for Medicaid. Patients initiated on PALI-PALM received a mean of 1.9 (±1.0) unique antipsychotics during the preindex period. One hundred six patients (24%) who had initiated on PALI-PALM had received 3 or more antipsychotics during the preindex period. Antidepressant (56.9%), anticonvulsant (49.2%), and antiparkinsonism (39.0%) drugs were the most frequently observed nonantipsychotic mental health medications during the preindex period. Compared with the preindex period, use of benzodiazepines and nonbenzodiazepine anxiolytics decreased during the postindex period (benzodiazepines: 10.0% versus 7.3%; McNemar’s test, P=0.034; nonbenzodiazepine anxiolytics: 12.5% versus 8.4%; McNemar’s test, P=0.007). Two hundred forty-one patients (54.6%) displayed an MPR for PALI-PALM ≥0.80 during the 6-month postindex period. Analysis regarding medication-related costs will be presented in the poster. CONCLUSIONS: A majority of Medicare members who had initiated on PALI-PALM had a LIS and dual eligibility. Use of multiple antipsychotics during the preindex period was common among members initiated on PALI-PALM. We observed a reduction in the use of benzodiazepines and nonbenzodiazepine anxiolytics among members receiving PALI-PALM.