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Hypnosedative prescribing in outpatient psychiatry
Mark A Huthwaite1, Viktoria Andersson, James Stanley
1Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.
International Clinical Psychopharmacology
|May 18, 2013
Summary
Hypnosedative (HS) prescribing is common in psychiatric outpatients, with many cases being long-term and involving multiple medications. Concerns exist regarding the use of antipsychotics as HSs due to potential side effects.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Pharmacology
- Public Health
Background:
- Hypnosedative (HS) medications are frequently used for sleep disturbances.
- Understanding prescribing patterns in psychiatric populations is crucial for patient safety and effective treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe hypnosedative (HS) prescribing patterns in a sample of psychiatric outpatients.
- To identify factors associated with HS use and review practices for long-term prescriptions.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of clinical records from two New Zealand mental health centers.
- Data collected included HS type, duration, coprescription, patient demographics, and diagnoses (ICD10).
Main Results:
- 35.2% of patients were prescribed at least one HS, with 69% of these being long-term.
- Polypharmacy (multiple HS drugs) occurred in 10% of patients.
- HS use was associated with female sex, nonpsychotic disorders, and inversely with clozapine use.
Conclusions:
- HS prescribing is more prevalent in psychiatric outpatients than the general population, often long-term and with polypharmacy.
- The use of antipsychotic drugs as HSs is a concern due to their side-effect profiles.
- A clearer rationale is needed for using medications in managing sleep problems within psychiatric disorders.
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