title: Excessive use of anticholinergic drugs in a sub-sample of Italian schizophrenics.
abstract: Compliance to the prescription of anticholinergic drugs in 274 consecutive schizophrenic outpatients has been assessed retrospectively from their clinical records. Ten point four percent of the sample (22 patients) took these drugs in amounts greater than those prescribed. Some possible explanations of this excessive use are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Padova School of Medicine, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schifano
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: di Costanzo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001712:Biperiden / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009966:Orphenadrine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011352:Procyclidine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014282:Trihexyphenidyl / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D010276:Parasympatholytics; D001712:Biperiden; D014282:Trihexyphenidyl; D009966:Orphenadrine; D011352:Procyclidine