A survey of family physicians and psychiatrists: Psychotropic prescribing practices and educational needs

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the psychotropic prescribing practices of family physicians and psychiatric physicians, and to assess their satisfaction with education about psychotropic prescribing. A survey was mailed to 461 active members of the Minnesota Psychiatric Society and to a randomized sample of 461 active members of the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians. Major depression, panic disorder, and dementia with behavioral disturbance were selected for study. For each disorder, we asked for the estimated number of patients seen and treated as well as a list in order of preference of the three medications they most commonly use. Those surveyed were also asked about their level of satisfaction with the training they received in medical school, residency, and continuing medical education (CME) courses on the topic of psychotropic prescribing. The two physician groups reported similar prescribing practices for the single-drug treatment of depression. Family physicians more frequently prescribed minor tranquilizers and older generation psychotropics than did psychiatrists when treating panic disorder and dementia with behavioral disturbance. Patients with depression were the least likely to be referred to other health professionals. Neither physician group was satisfied with medical school education in this area; family physicians were less satisfied with residency training and in related CME courses than were psychiatric physicians. Additional study is needed to better understand interspecialty practice variation for commonly encountered psychiatric disorders. Medical education programs at all levels could better meet the reported needs of their graduates by providing more attention to prescribing psychotropic agents.