title: Observational study on medications prescribed to dual-diagnosis outpatients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To quantify the number of medications used for treating psychiatric and addictive disorders in a cohort of dual diagnosis with substance dependence outpatients and report the most frequent pharmacological groups used.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted. Demographic data, Axis I comorbidity diagnosis with substance dependence, and the medications prescribed were recorded. Diagnosis was assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID).
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred seven patients (mean age 37.7 years; SD = 10.2 years) were evaluated (76.6% men). On average, patients took 4.0 (SD = 1.8) medications. The pharmacological groups prescribed were antipsychotics (69.2%) followed by antidepressants (65.4%), antiepileptics (58.9%), anxiolytics (37.4%), alcohol-aversive drugs (15.9%), methadone (15.9%), lithium (3.7%), and naltrexone (2.8%). Older patients (>45 years old) were found to have a higher number of prescribed medications. Patients diagnosed with a dual psychotic disorder were prescribed a larger number of pharmacological agents (mean = 4.4; SD = 2.1) than patients with a mood disorder (mean = 3.7; SD = 1.3) or an anxiety disorder (mean = 2.9; SD = 1.2), K = 10.5, P = 0.005.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because polypharmacy is frequent in patients with mental illness and a co-occurring substance use disorder, specialized approaches need to be developed.
authors.affiliation: From the Outpatient drug clinic (CAS) Vall d'Hebron (LGL, CR, CD, LM, CB, BG), Department of Psychiatry, Vall Hebron University Hospital, Public Health Agency of Barcelona (ASPB), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry (LGL, CR, LM, CB, FC, MC), Vall Hebron University Hospital, Autonomous University of Barcelona, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain; and Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine (LGL, CD, CR, FC, MC), Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grau-López
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roncero
authors.forename: Constanza
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Daigre
authors.forename: Laia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Miquel
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barral
authors.forename: Begoña
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gonzalvo
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Collazos
authors.forename: Miquel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002491:Central Nervous System Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008691:Methadone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010045:Outpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019338:Polypharmacy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D002491:Central Nervous System Agents; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D008691:Methadone