Prescription of hypnotics and tranquilisers at the Geneva prison's outpatient service in comparison to an urban outpatient medical service.
OBJECTIVE
Examine whether an overconsumption of tranquillizers exists in prison and discuss possible reasons.


METHODS
Comparative study during three weeks at Geneva: prison outpatient service and Medical Policlinic (MP) of the University Hospital.


RESULTS
When comparing the 113 (prison) and 151 (MP) male patients younger than 39 years, we found important differences concerning the quality and quantity of prescriptions of psychoactive drugs: ten times more prison patients than patients from the MP were treated with benzodiazepines (BZD). The differences persisted even when considering only prisoners who were not known to be street drug, alcohol or long time BZD consumers.


CONCLUSIONS
The differences cannot be explained by the high percentage of drug addicts in prison. Our results suggest the importance of factors related to the prison environment.
Elger
Bernice S
BS
Département de médecine communautaire, Division de médecine pénitentiaire, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève. Bernice.Elger@hcuge.ch
Goehring
Catherine
C
Revaz
Sylvie Antonini
SA
Morabia
Alfredo
A
D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D011330:Prisons / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013557:Switzerland; D014149:Tranquilizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D014149:Tranquilizing Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines