Trends-in-the-utilization-of-psychotropic-drugs-in-serdang-hospital

Abstract

Introduction: The prevalence of mental health issues in Malaysia has tripled from 10.7 % in 1996 to 29.2 % in 2015. This was reflected by an increasing usage of psychotropic drugs over the past two decades. Thus, this study was carried out to explore the utilization trends of psychotropic drugs prescribed in Serdang Hospital. Method: This observational retrospective quantitative study was conducted using 11-year data from January 2008 to December 2018. Dispensing data was obtained using the electronic hospital information system (eHIS) in Serdang Hospital. Defined daily doses per 1000 populations per year metric (DDDs / 1000 / year) were used to compare the popularity of psychotropic classes and individual drugs. A comparison of the frequency and distribution of the drugs over time was made using Microsoft Office Excel 2013. Result: Total utilization of psychotropic drugs increased markedly by 859.2 % (from 75.9 to 727.8 DDDs / 1000 / year) from 2008 to 2018. Antidepressants were the most frequently dispensed class, with a significant increase by 1828.6 % (from 20 to 385.9 DDDs / 1000 / year). On the other hand, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication was the least dispensed class, from no usage in 2008 to 4.3 DDDs / 1000 / year in 2018. In 2018, out of 27 psychotropic drugs, sertraline (26.4 %) was the most frequently dispensed drug with 192.3 DDDs/1000/year. Conversely, clobazam (0.2 %) was the least dispensed drug with 1.2 DDDs / 1000 / year. Conclusion: Psychotropic drug utilization in Serdang Hospital increased markedly over the study period. All six classes contributed to the increment. Appropriate use of psychotropic drugs should be investigated in future.