Abstract

Objective: Psychiatric disorders are one of the important causes of global morbidity and often are chronic disorders requiring treatment with psychopharmacological agents for prolonged periods, may be extending up to a lifetime. The present study was planned to assess the prescribing patterns for atypical antipsychotic in patients suffering from psychiatric disorders. Methods: A six month, Prospective observational study was carried out in an out-patient department. The patients aged 18 -55 years who have been diagnosed with psychiatric illnesses as per ICD-10 classifications and receiving or prescribed with atypical antipsychotic drugs were selected. Results: During the six-month study period, total 100 prescriptions were analyzed. The age group of 25-38 years included 72% of the patients, higher in men (69%). 80% of the patients during the study period were schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorders followed by non organic and unspecified disorders. Serotonin dopamine antagonist (37%) followed by multi acting receptor targeted (21%) were the most common drug classes found to be involved in the study. Respiridone (37%), olanzapine (11%) and quetiapine (10%) were the most commonly prescribed drugs in the study population. Among two drug combination therapy involved in the study, the most common was clozapine and respiridone (7%) followed by clozapine and aripriprazole (1%). Conclusions: The study shows that serotonin dopamine antagonist was the most commonly prescribed drug class, respiridone being the commonest. Antipsychotic drug combinations among patients with psychiatric disorders were considerable especially in non responders with a single antipsychotic drug therapy

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