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A Comparison of In-patient and Out-patient Prescribing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

D. N. Anderson
D. N. Anderson*
Affiliation:
Fazakerley Hospital, Liverpool, formerly Senior Registrar, Sefton General Hospital
*
∗Department of Psychiatry, Fazakerley Hospital, Longmoor Lane, Liverpool L9 7AL
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Abstract

The prescribing of psychotropic medication to 96 attenders at a lithium clinic was compared with their prescriptions while inpatients. As outpatients, they received fewer psychotropic drugs fewer times a day. This suggests that psychiatrists do not adopt intransigent stances in favour of polypharmacy and irrational psychotropic prescribing, as previous studies have implied. Caution is advised before attributing apparently irrational prescribing to bad clinical practice, or advocating remedial action aimed at changing the habits of prescribers.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 154 , Issue 5 , May 1989 , pp. 644 - 649
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1989 

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