Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-m8qmq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-18T03:36:37.467Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Benzodiazepine prescribing in a psychiatric hospital

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

J. Summers  and
K. W. Brown
J. Summers*
Affiliation:
Larkfield Centre, Garngaber Avenue, Lenzie G66 3UG
K. W. Brown
Affiliation:
Central Scotland Healthcare NHS Trust, Larbert
*
∗Correspondence
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Using a case note study, this paper presents a longitudinal survey of the effect of psychiatric inpatient care on benzodiazepine prescribing. Standards were proposed to assess the quality of this prescribing. Based on these standards, the study shows inappropriate use of benzodiazepines. Following admission, there was an increase in the number of patients prescribed benzodiazepines and in the number of benzodiazepines prescribed. Of the benzodiazepines withdrawn, most were contrary to the proposed standard. The quality of drug history showed little emphasis being placed on rationalising benzodiazepine prescribing. The issue of how benzodiazepines should be handled during psychiatric admission is discussed.

Type
Original papers
Information
Psychiatric Bulletin , Volume 22 , Issue 8 , August 1998 , pp. 480 - 483
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © 1998 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

References

Buetow, S. A., Sibbald, B., Cantrill, J. A., et al (1996) Prevalence of potentially inappropriate long term prescribing in general practice in the United Kingdom 1980–1995: systematic literature review. British Medical Journal 313, 1371–1374.Google Scholar
Committee on Safety of Medicines (1988) Benzodiazepines, Dependence and Withdrawal Symptoms. Current problems, no. 21. London: Medicines Control Agency.Google Scholar
Edwards, S. & Kumar, V. (1984) A survey of prescribing psychotropic drugs in a Birmingham psychiatric hospital. British Journal of Psychiatry, 145, 502–507.Google Scholar
Harborne, G. & Tudor, L. (1995) How to change prescribing of hypnotics. Psychiatric Bulletin, 19, 155–157.Google Scholar
Humphreys, S. & Hallström, C. (1995) Benzodiazepine dependence and withdrawal - an update. Primary Care Psychiatry, 1, 99–105.Google Scholar
Michel, K. & Kalakowska, T. (1981) A survey of prescribing psychotropic drugs in two psychiatric hospitals. British Journal of Psychiatry, 138, 217–221.Google Scholar
Muijen, M. & Silverstone, T. A. (1987) Comparative hospital survey of psychotropic drug prescribing. British Journal of Psychiatry, 150, 501–504.Google Scholar
National Medical Advisory Committee (1994) The Management of Anxiety and Insomnia . A Report by the National Medical Advisory Committee. Edinburgh: HMSO.Google Scholar
Royal College of Psychiatrists (1997) Benzodiazepines: Risks, Benefits or Dependence . A Re-Evaluation (Council Report CR59). London: Royal College of Psychiatrists.Google Scholar
Scottish Health Service Common Services Agency, Information and Statistics Division (1993) Scottish Drug Misuse Bulletin, Section 2.5. Edinburgh: ISD Publications.Google Scholar
Thaker, G. K., Nguyen, J. A., Strauss, M. E., et al (1990) Clonazepam treatment of tardive dyskinesia: A practical GABAmimetic strategy. American Journal of Psychiatry, 147, 445–451.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.