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  • Title: [Prescription of psychopharmaceuticals in general practice. 3. Prescription of hypnotics].
    Author: Holm M.
    Journal: Ugeskr Laeger; 1989 Aug 21; 151(34):2130-3. PubMed ID: 2672502.
    Abstract:
    In a multicentre-questionnaire investigation in general practice in the County of Arhus with participation of 66% of the general practitioners in the county, 1,516 prescriptions for hypnotics were registered during one week. 68% of the prescriptions were for women and 32% for men. The average ages of the patients were 65 and 64 years, respectively. The frequency of prescription increased markedly with age. 83% of the prescriptions and 85% of the hypnotics calculated in defined daily doses were benzodiazepines. The majority of the benzodiazepine hypnotics and sedatives prescribed had long half-lives. At the time of the first prescription of hypnotic, 31% of the patients were in a state of mental crisis while only 7% were so after medication for at least six years. In about 30% of the patients, a co-existing somatic disease contributed to a considerable extent to the prescription of the hypnotic while under 1/5 of the patients suffered from genuine mental illness. Approximately 20% of the patients were considered to be potential or genuine addicts. More than 80% of the renewed prescriptions occurred by indirect doctor-patient contact.
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