<p>For patients who have never taken oral Risperidone, tolerability should be established with oral Risperidone prior to initiating treatment with Risperidone.<br />
<br />
Administer by deep intramuscular (IM) deltoid or gluteal injection. Each injection should be administered by a health care professional using the appropriate enclosed safety needle (1-inch for deltoid administration alternating injections between the two arms and 2-inch for gluteal administration alternating injections between the two buttocks). Do not administer intravenously.<br />
<br />
25 mg intramuscular (IM) every 2 weeks. Patients not responding to 25 mg may benefit from a higher dose of 37.5 mg or 50 mg. The maximum dose should not exceed 50 mg every 2 weeks.<br />
<br />
Oral Risperidone (or another antipsychotic medication) should be given with the first injection of Risperidone, and continued for 3 weeks (and then discontinued) to ensure adequate thera peutic plasma concentrations from Risperidone<br />
<br />
Upward dose adjustment of Risperidone should not be made more frequently than every 4 weeks. Clinical effects of each upward dose adjustment should not be anticipated earlier than 3 weeks after injection.<br />
<br />
Avoid inadvertent administration into a blood vessel.</p>