Psychiatric Bulletin (2000) 24: 23-25. doi: 10.1192/pb.24.1.23
© 2000 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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Size does matter

A study of antidepressant prescribing in a general hospital

Alan J. Carson, Lecturer in Psychiatry and Prem Shah, Specialist Registrar in Psychiatry

Department of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside Park, Edinburgh EH10 5HF

AIMS AND METHODS

To examine antidepressant prescribing in a general medical hospital in the UK. The data used were extracted from a prescription database prospectively maintained by the hospital pharmacy. All prescriptions of antidepressants over a five-year period, both new and continuation, were recorded.

RESULTS

During the study period there were 2037 prescriptions of tricyclic antidepressants. Only 18% of these prescriptions were at conventional therapeutic doses. This compared with 773 prescriptions of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, 70% of which were at conventional therapeutic doses. It is shown that antidepressants were prescribed at a dose in accordance with the smallest tablet size available.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

We suggest that reformulation of tablets to allow one tablet daily prescribing may lead to improved antidepressant prescribing.