title: Cross-sectional survey of patients in receipt of long-term repeat prescriptions for antidepressant drugs in primary care.
abstract: This cross-sectional survey describes the clinical characteristics of 92 patients from across 12 general medical practices, in receipt of a long-term repeat prescription of an antidepressant for the treatment of depression. Psychiatric diagnoses were determined using the Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry. Fifty-three participants (57.6%) failed to meet criteria for any psychiatric diagnosis (95% confidence interval (CI): 47.5-67.7%). Independent clinical assessments based upon diagnoses and other clinical data indicated that 26 (31.0%) participants (95% CI: 28.9-49.7%) had no clear clinical reason for continued receipt of an antidepressant. Reasons for the continued use of antidepressants in this population require further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Practice Pharmacist, Princes Street Surgery, Dundee, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cruickshank
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Macgillivray
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bruce
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mather
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Williams