Prescribing patterns of neuroactive drugs in 98 schizophrenic patients

Ninety-eight schizophrenic outpatients receiving pharmacotherapy were surveyed on two census days, 18 months apart. From this study sample it was found that, as recently as 1987, 18% of the patients were prescribed three classes of neuroactive drugs--16% two antipsychotic drugs simultaneously. Of an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inIsrael journal of psychiatry and related sciences Vol. 26; no. 3; p. 157
Main Authors Heresco-Levy, U, Greenberg, D, Wittman, L, Dasberg, H, Lerer, B
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Israel 1989
Subjects
Adolescent
Adult
Antipsychotic Agents - administration & dosage
Drug Therapy, Combination
Female
Fluphenazine - administration & dosage
Fluphenazine - analogs & derivatives
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Psychotropic Drugs - administration & dosage
Schizophrenia - drug therapy
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Summary:Ninety-eight schizophrenic outpatients receiving pharmacotherapy were surveyed on two census days, 18 months apart. From this study sample it was found that, as recently as 1987, 18% of the patients were prescribed three classes of neuroactive drugs--16% two antipsychotic drugs simultaneously. Of antipsychotics receivers, 44% were prescribed anticholinergics, 3% antidepressants, and 4% benzodiazepines. Between census days, a significant shift from use of oral antipsychotics to the depot form of administration occurred, while polypharmacy frequency remained unchanged. An analysis of the data will provide guidelines for rendering a more rational pharmacological treatment.
ISSN:0333-7308