title: Pharmacotherapy for obsessive compulsive disorder in clinical practice - Data of 842 inpatients from the International AMSP Project between 1994 and 2012.
abstract: Specific treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is based on cognitive-behavioral therapy, serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) or their combination. Treatment strategies do not always follow evidence-based guidelines in outpatient settings. Data on pharmacotherapy in inpatient settings are lacking.
  
  
  
  Prescription data for inpatients suffering from OCD in the time period 1994-2012 were obtained from the database of the Drug Safety Program in Psychiatry (AMSP). Data were collected on two index dates per year; the prescription patterns and changes over time were analysed.
  
  
  
  Of 842 patients 89.9% received at least one psychotropic drug and 67.6% a combination of at least two psychotropic drugs. The drug groups prescribed most often were antidepressants (78.0%), antipsychotics (46.7%), and tranquilizers (19.7%). In 58.0% of all cases selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) were used as antidepressants, followed by tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs, 17.8%), mainly clomipramine (10.9%). Second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) were administered in 37.8% of all cases, first-generation antipsychotics (FGAs) in 13.7%. While the use over time significantly increased for psychotropic drugs, antidepressants, antipsychotics, tranquilizers, SSRIs and SGAs, it remained stable for FGAs and decreased for TCAs.
  
  
  
  Observational cross-sectional study without follow-up or additional information.
  
  
  
  In clinical practice, most OCD patients received pharmacological treatment. The high prescription rate of SSRIs and their preference over clomipramine as well as the augmentation of this therapy with SGAs comply with the guidelines. Administration of tranquilizers as well as sedative FGAs and the choice of single SGAs are not in line with expert recommendations.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Hospital Kilchberg, Kilchberg, Zürich, Switzerland. Electronic address: c.poppe@sanatorium-kilchberg.ch.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Poppe
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Hospital Kilchberg, Kilchberg, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sabrina T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Hospital Kilchberg, Kilchberg, Zürich, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Waldemar
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Greil
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Hospital Kilchberg, Kilchberg, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Walder
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Renate
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grohmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stübner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002997:Clomipramine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014149:Tranquilizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D002997:Clomipramine; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D014149:Tranquilizing Agents
keywords: AMSP; Guidelines; Obsessive compulsive disorder; Pharmacotherapy; Prescription; Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors