This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Jonathan R. T. Davidson, MD, MRCPsych; David Raft, MD; B. Frank Lewis; Margaret Gebhardt, RPh

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1975;32(4):507-511.

Abstract
We examined the prescribing habits for psychotropic drugs of internists, surgeons, and gynecologists on their inpatient wards in a teaching hospital. Data were gathered from patients' charts and pharmacy records. In a six-week period, 9% of all admissions received such a drug. The male:female ratio and black:white ratios were studied; the maximum incidence of receiving these medications was in the 50- to 60-year age group.

Minor tranquilizers were prescribed most frequently, followed, respectively, by major tranquilizers, barbiturates, and antidepressants. Less than half the available drugs were used, but drugs of different groups were often used interchangeably in an unsystematic fashion, and there was little evidence as to how effective a drug had been. It also seemed that depression was often overlooked or insufficiently treated.

Author Affiliations
From the School of Medicine (Drs. Davidson and Raft and Mr. Lewis and Ms. Gebhardt) and the School of Pharmacy (Ms. Gebhardt), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and the Department of Psychiatry, John Umstead Hospital (Dr. Davidson).

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Dec 18, 1974.

Reprints not available.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Racial Disparity in the Use of Atypical Antipsychotic Medications Among Veterans
Copeland et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2003;160:1817-1822.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Quality of Care for Depressed Elderly Patients Hospitalized in the Specialty Psychiatric Units or General Medical Wards
Norquist et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1995;52:695-701.
ABSTRACT  

Neuroleptic Prescriptions for Acutely Ill Geriatric Patients
Hesse et al.
Arch Intern Med 1993;153:2581-2587.
ABSTRACT  

Antidepressant Treatment of Medical-Surgical Inpatients by Nonpsychiatric Physicians
Callies
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1987;44:157-160.
ABSTRACT  

Treatment of the Agitated Patient With an Organic Brain Disorder
Fauman
JAMA 1978;240:380-382.
ABSTRACT  

Family Practitioners' Knowledge About Treatment of Depressive Illness
Ketai
JAMA 1976;235:2600-2603.
ABSTRACT