Prescription patterns of psychotropic drugs in inpatient and in community outpatient care at the neuropsychiatric hospital “Dr. Alejandro Korn”, La Plata, Argentina. Cross-sectional study

Objective: to identify psychopharmacological prescription patterns in users over 18 years of age at the “Dr. Alejandro Korn” hospital from La Plata, Argentina. Methodology: observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study. Psychotropic drug prescriptions of inpatients and outpatients were surveyed.

Results: Of 425 users (71 % male), 218 were outpatients in community mental health centers or wards; 207 hospitalized in long-stay (n=86), medium-stay (n=34) and short-stay wards (n=87), with a median (range) of hospitalization of 9.5 (1-53.3) years. The most prevalent diagnoses were schizophrenia and other psychoses (71.1 %) and mental retardation (16.7 %). Up to 94.6 % received antipsychotics (AP), with 43.1 % first generation (FGA) and 77.2 % second generation; 74.6 % sedatives/hypnotics, mainly benzodiazepines; 42.6 % anticonvulsants and 13.4 % antidepressants. Antipsychotic polypharmacy (≥2 AP) was 42.3 %, reaching 69.9 % in FGA users. The AP dose was ≥600 mg chlorpromazine equivalents (eqCPZ) in 62.9 % and ≥1200 mg eqCPZ in 25.9 %. Up to 22.4 % of AP users received biperiden.

Conclusions: There is a high frequency of AP polypharmacy, high doses of AP and use of FGA. Also, high frequency of benzodiazepines prescription. It is necessary to prioritize dose reduction and deprescription of the different pharmacological groups.