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Hypnotic prescriptions in a university hospital: Analysis of data from the computer-ordering system
Masayuki Miyamoto1, Koichi Hirata, Tomoyuki Miyamoto
1Department of Neurology, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, Mibu, Tochigi, Japan. miyamasa@dokkyomed.ac.jp
Insights
This study analyzed hypnotic prescriptions for 3428 patients, finding short-acting benzodiazepines were common across specialties. Further research is needed to understand insomnia prevalence in different medical fields.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Medical Informatics
- Public Health
Background:
- Hypnotic medications are frequently prescribed for sleep disturbances.
- Understanding prescription patterns is crucial for optimizing patient care and resource allocation.
- The Dokkyo University School of Medicine's computer-ordering system (COS) provides a valuable data source for pharmaceutical use analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the patterns of hypnotic prescriptions issued to outpatients.
- To identify patient demographics and medical specialties associated with hypnotic use.
- To determine the types of hypnotics most commonly prescribed.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the computer-ordering system (COS) database.
- Retrospectively analyzed hypnotic prescriptions for outpatients.
- Examined patient demographics (age, gender) and prescribing medical departments.
Main Results:
- Hypnotics were prescribed to 3428 patients, representing 3.5% of total prescriptions.
- The mean age of patients receiving hypnotics was 56 years, with a wide range (8-91 years).
- Physicians across all specialties predominantly prescribed short-acting benzodiazepine hypnotics, with higher incidence in younger patients, though most prescriptions were for those in their 60s.
Conclusions:
- Short-acting benzodiazepines are the preferred hypnotic class across various medical specialties.
- Prescription patterns suggest a need to investigate the prevalence of insomnia in different patient populations and medical fields.
- Further research into insomnia prevalence and appropriate hypnotic prescribing is warranted.
Abstract:
The computer-ordering system (COS) database was used to investigate hypnotic prescriptions issued to outpatients at various medical departments at the Dokkyo University School of Medicine. Hypnotics were prescribed for 3428 patients (1613 men, 1815 women), with a mean age of 56 years (range 8-91 years). The number of prescriptions was 3.5% of the total number of prescriptions (123 518). Although hypnotics were prescribed most often to patients in their 60s, generally, the incidence was higher for younger-aged patients. Physicians in all specialty areas tended to prescribe short-acting benzodiazepine hypnotics. The issuance of hypnotic prescriptions should be investigated to determine the prevalence of insomnia in various medical specialties.