[Psychopharmaceuticals in primary care: prescription quality].
OBJECTIVE
Using criteria based on the bibliography, to assess drugs prescription in a Health Centre, in order to put forward corrective measures in line with the defects identified.


METHODS
Descriptive and retrospective study.


METHODS
Santa Maria de Benquerancia Health Centre (Toledo).


METHODS
A sample of 40% of the clinical records of patients over 14 produced records of patients treated with drugs for psychic disorders between October 1990 and October 1991.


RESULTS
248 prescriptions for these drugs were found. The most common diagnoses were: neurotic depression (33.1%), anxiety (25.8%) and insomnia (10.1%). Benzodiazepines made up 78.2% of the prescriptions. Of 8 quality criteria assessed, the compliance level was acceptable by WHO standards except in the recording in the notes of the diagnosis or problem for which the drug was prescribed (74.2% non-compliance); Alprazolam and Triazolam were not considered first-choice benzodiazepines (31.3% non-compliance); and there was 44.5% non-compliance by Primary Care physicians with the non-prescription of anti-psychotic or stimulant MAO inhibitor antidepressants.


CONCLUSIONS
Quality-control studies, such as this one, in order to identify problems, to take corrective measures and subsequently assess them, are useful in improving care procedures.
Torres Martínez
C
C
Centro de Salud Sta. María de Benquerancia, Toledo.
Orgaz Gallego
P
P
Lozano Alvarez
F
F
Sánchez Gómez
M H
MH
Pinnel Muñoz
M F
MF
Tojeiro Lorente
S
S
Laín Terres
N
N
D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011786:Quality Control; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs
Psicofármacos en atención primaria: calidad de la prescripción.