Anti-psychotic drug prescribing trends in primary care in Scotland 1994-97.
OBJECTIVE
To describe trends in the use of anti-psychotic drugs prescribed in Primary Care in Scotland.


METHODS
Information on prescription numbers and costs were obtained from the Pharmacy Prescribing Division.


METHODS
Scotland 1994-1997. Results Prescriptions for anti-psychotic drugs in Primary Care in Scotland increased by 28% in the period April 1994-December 97. In the same period, quarterly costs increased from 523,971 Pounds to 1,339,215 Pounds, an increase of 155%. Ninety per cent of the increase is accounted for by use of the five drugs risperidone, sertindole, olanzapine, clozapine and quetiapine. Health Board areas vary markedly in their uptake of the new drugs.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of new anti-psychotic drugs in Scotland represents a substantial additional investment in mental health care. This has happened with little discussion or debate. Scotland needs to make explicit decisions on the place of newer anti-psychotics in treatment, and on the balance between investing in these drugs and investing in other aspects of mental health services.
Stark
C
C
Highland Health Board, Beechwood Park, Inverness.
Jones
J
J
Agnew
J
J
Hepburn
T
T
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000145:classification / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016527:Drug Costs; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D017723:Drug Utilization Review; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D012606:Scotland
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents