[Off-label prescriptions in public psychiatric hospital practice]

Abstract

Aim: Analyze prescriptions in public hospital psychiatric practice.

Methods: Psychiatric and somatic prescriptions were analyzed a given day regarding their indication, dosage, treatment duration, and prescription scheme. Consultants were individually asked for the reasons of off-label prescriptions.

Results: Five thousand eighty-six lines of prescription were recorded for 495 patients, showing a total of 34% off-label prescriptions, including 43.5% for psychiatric medications and 22.7% for somatic medications. Psychiatric medications: 22.3% were off-label for indication, 13.1% for dosage, 4.5% for treatment duration, and 6.2% for prescription scheme. (off-label prescriptions for indication: 12.1% without clonazepam - which delivery have been restricted by the end of 2011). Somatic medications: respectively 4.5%, 14.9%, 4.8% and 12.5%.

Conclusions: Percentage of off-label prescriptions for indication of psychiatric medications was clearly less than percentages published in the literature (other percentages are new). While most of off-label prescriptions were made in accordance with clinical reports in the literature, some others were not.