title: The moral choice in prescribing barbiturates.
abstract: Dr Wells, a general practitioner, looks at the problem of barbiturate dependence from the point of view of the prescribing doctor who has to choose for his patients - of all ages - the drug, usually a hypnotic, which is sought for insomnia or states of anxiety and stress. He argues that it is wise to prescribe non-barbiturates, but that even in elderly people it is possible and the right course of action is to wean these patients from their dependence on sleep-inducing drugs. Young people often acquire the drug habit by taking hypnotics from a bedside table or a bathroom cabinet in their own homes.
mesh_terms: D001463:Barbiturates / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012449:Safety; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders
chemical_list: D001463:Barbiturates; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives