Psychotropic drug consumption: analysis of ambulatory setting prescriptions as basis for drug-related problems studies / Consumo de medicamentos psicotrópicos: análisis de recetas médicas ambulatorias como base para estudios de problemas relacionados con medicamentos / Consumo de psicotrópicos: análise das prescri es ambulatoriais como base para estudos de problemas relacionados com medicamentos

Present study aimed to discuss consumption of psychotropic registered by Health Municipal Secretariat of Ribeir o Preto (SMSRP), S o Paulo (Brazil) in 2001. Data were gathered from monthly records of Pharmacy Units, kept in Pharmacy Department of SMSRP, and were expressed in DDD per 10.000 inhabitants/day, for each pharmaceutical. Diazepam (DZP) was the most used anxiolytic (DDD/10000=96.8), followed by phenobarbital (DDD/10000=32.8). Amitriptyline was the most used antidepressant, and the 4th among all psychotropic drugs (DDD/10000=18.6). A increasing trend in DZP and AMT consumption was observed, being most of the prescriptions done by psychiatry specialists (53 and 60%, respectively), while the rest was originated in neurology, rheumatology and ambulatory AIDS clinics. The present study concludes that antidepressant consumption suggests a great use in non-psychiatric use, specially AMT, pointing out its use in analgesia. It also concludes that although data are not enough to obtain risk-cost-benefit of this drugs, neither factors determining psychotropic consumption, they point to the necessity of multy-dimensional assessments to verify existence of symptoms medicalization by non-psychiatric medicine, and their iatrogenic consequences.