Psychotropic medication use in the child and adolescent psychiatry wards of a French hospital.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the use of psychotropic medication in children and adolescents hospitalised in a psychiatric ward.


METHODS
A prospective analysis of psychotropic drug prescriptions was conducted for all patients hospitalised in two acute psychiatric hospitalisation units of a paediatric teaching hospital in Paris, France. The study group consisted of 187 patients and was characterised in terms of age, sex, prior psychiatric hospitalisation and DSM-IV-Tr diagnosis. All prescriptions were assessed for off-label use.


RESULTS
Overall, 46% of patients received at least one dose of psychotropic medication. Antipsychotic drugs were the most frequently prescribed drugs (44%), regardless of diagnosis. Ninety percent of patients who received antipsychotic drugs did not have psychosis. We found that 69% of the 421 prescriptions written were for off-label uses. The percentage distribution of off-label prescriptions by medication class was as follows: antipsychotic drugs, 90%; anxiolytics, 28%; stimulants, 26%; antidepressants, 89%; antiepileptic drugs, 89% and antiparkinsonian drugs, 91%.


CONCLUSIONS
The extensive use of drugs for off-label indications in children and adolescents suggests that prospective post-marketing studies should be carried out to evaluate efficacy and safety.
Winterfeld
Ursula
U
APHP, Hôpital Robert Debré, Department of Pharmacy, 48 Bd Sérurier, 75019 Paris, France.
Le Heuzey
Marie-France
MF
Acquaviva
Eric
E
Mouren
Marie-Christine
MC
Brion
Françoise
F
Bourdon
Olivier
O
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004348:Drug Labeling; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010297:Paris; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs