Changes in Antipsychotic Drug Usage in the Psychiatric Inpatients at a University Hospital between 1997, 2003-2004 and 2009-2010.
- Author:
In Hee SHIM
1
;
Young Sup WOO
;
Tae Youn JUN
;
Kwang Soo KIM
;
Won Myong BAHK
Author Information
1. Department of Psychiatry, Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. wmbahk@catholic.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Antipsychotics;
Inpatients;
Polypharmacy
- MeSH:
Antipsychotic Agents;
Humans;
Inpatients;
Polypharmacy;
Prescriptions;
Schizophrenia
- From:Korean Journal of Psychopharmacology
2012;23(2):57-64
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: Patterns of clinical use of antipsychotics have changed greatly in the past decade. The authors' goal was to examine these patterns in an inpatient unit at a university hospital between 1997, 2003-2004, and 2009-2010. METHODS: We evaluated medication use in inpatients treated with antipsychotic drugs during 2009-2010 (n=379) and compared the results with inpatients treated with antipsychotics in 2003-2004 (n=379) and inpatients treated with antipsychotics in 1997 (n=165). RESULTS: The distribution of psychiatric diagnoses in 2009-2010 was different from that in 2003-2004 and 1997. The proportion of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders was higher in 2009-2010 (p=0.013, p<0.001). An atypical agent was prescribed for 98.7% (n=374) of patients in 2009-2010. This represents a significant proportional increase over both 2003-2004 (93.7%, n=355; p<0.001) and 1997 (57.6%, n=95; p<0.001). In 2009-2010 the number of patients receiving prescriptions of two or more antipsychotics in combination was 16.1% (n=61), which represents a significant proportional increase over 2003-2004 (9.0%, n=34; p=0.007) and 1997 (4.8%, n=8; p=0.001). CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates that atypical antipsychotic medications have replaced typical antipsychotic medications. Polypharmacy increased markedly despite limited empirical evidence of cost-risk-benefit relationships.
