OBJECTIVES: To explore medication use patterns, health-care resource utilization and economic burden among patients with schizophrenia in Beijing, China. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed using the Beijing Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance Database from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2013. Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia were identified using the International Classification of Disease 10th diagnosis codes F20, and the first diagnosis date in 2012 was designated as the index date. Patients were required to be at least 18 years old, without any cancer and with 12-months continuous enrollment after the index date. Descriptive statistics were used to describe patient profiles, medication usage, health-care resource utilization and annual direct medical costs during the 1-year follow-up period. RESULTS: A total of 17,609 patients were included with mean (±SD) age of 52 (±15) years, 54% females and 94% with the baseline medical co-morbidities. During the study follow-up, 75% received antipsychotic monotherapy and 84% were treated with atypical antipsychotics. The proportion of patients with schizophrenia-related hospitalization was 9.6%, with 1.2 (±0.5) hospitalizations per patient-year, 118 (±98) days of total length of hospitalization stay per patient-year, and a 21% re-admission rate. Those with any schizophrenia-related outpatient visit had 5.7 (±4.4) outpatient visits per patient-year, with 82% having at least 2 outpatient visits. The all-cause annual direct medical costs per patient were $2,668 (±3,511), while schizophrenia-related annual costs were $950 (±2,150). The costs per schizophrenia-related hospitalization were $4,050 (±3,592), with 10% of costs attributable to antipsychotics and 81% to non-medication medical costs. CONCLUSIONS: In Beijing, patients diagnosed with schizophrenia had a low rate of schizophrenia-related hospitalization, and a high rate of medical co-morbidities. Most patients received antipsychotic monotherapy and atypical antipsychotics. The economic burden associated with schizophrenia was considerable.