OUTPATIENT DRUG PRESCRIBING PATTERN FOR BIPOLAR DISORDER PATIENTS IN SOUTHERN THAILAND

Objective: To examine the psychotropic prescribing pattern among Thai bipolar disorder patients in southern Thailand and to compare results with other studies in developed countries and the study conducted in Bangkok, central Thailand. Method: All clinical outpatients records of bipolar patients who attended the psychiatric clinic of Songklanagarind Hospital were systematically reviewed. Results: There were 298 patients during the study period from January to March 2003. Nearly half of the patients (48.6%) were prescribed mood stabilizers, with lithium (35.2%) and valproate (13.4%) being the two most common drugs. The other half (48.6%) were prescribed antidepressants of which nortriptyline and the generic from of fluoxetine were prescribed in nearly equal numbers. Antipsychotics were also prescribed in about half of the patients (43.3%). For those who received antipsychotics, 93.0% received FGAs; only 6 patients (4.7%) received an SGA. Conclusion: This study shows rather similar prescribing patterns as compared to those of reports from developed countries. The exception was our clinicians’ prescribing of more FGAs, which was a similar finding to that of the study from Bangkok. Further study has been recommended to find out whether prescribing patterns will change in the future