The impact of psychopharmacology education on prescribing practices

The authors describe a pharmacology education program on the psychiatry service of a Veterans Administration medical center. The program, directed by a clinical pharmacist, includes weekly lectures to medical students and weekly psychopharmacology review rounds for psychiatric residents that are also attended by staff psychiatrists. To determine the impact of the psychopharmacology review rounds on prescribing practices, the authors conducted a retrospective chart review of psychopharmacologic treatment methods before and after the rounds were instituted. The review compared prescribing practices in the two periods and focused particularly on changes in practices related to multiple daily dosages, polypharmacy, prophylactic anticholinergics, and drug use in alcohol withdrawal. The review demonstrated that the teaching effort resulted in a use of psychotropic medications that was more in line with recommendations in the literature.