Anti-depressant drug prescription pattern for depression at a tertiary health care center of Northern India

摘要

This study was carried out to observe prescription pattern of anti depressants as well as other psychotropic medications for the treatment of depression. A sample of 100 adult patients was selected to participate in the study. First five patients of depression (with or without psychotic symptoms) from twenty out patient departments (OPDs) of various consultant psychiatrists of Department of Psychiatry, C. S. M. Medical University, Lucknow, were included with the sample. It was found that a large number of patients (84%) were co-prescribed Clonazepam. It was observed that 16% of the patients were prescribed a combination of two antidepressants. 19% of the patients were co-prescribed antipsychotics for the treatment of their psychotic symptoms. Duloxetine was found to be the most frequently prescribed anti depressant while Paroxetine was the least frequently prescribed antidepressant.