| Summary: | Includes bibliographical references. === AIM OF THIS STUDY: To describe how doctors are prescribing low dose antidepressants at Heideveld Community Health Centre. OBJECTIVES: 1. To determine how many patients are being prescribed low dose antidepressants at Heideveld Community Health Centre. 2. To see what sort of dosages are being prescribed as low dose most frequently. 3. To see if indications for the use of low dose tricyclic antidepressants are being recorded. 4. To identify the indications for the use of low dose tricyclic antidepressant. METHOD: A total of 500 patient folders were reviewed. 50 patient folders, (10 folders each from five medical officers), were systematically sampled, per day, for ten days over a two week period. Records were reviewed and data was captured on a data capture sheet. Demographic data: age and gender was recorded. The dose of the antidepressant per patient was recorded. The indication for its use was recorded. Where the indication of its use was not recorded, this was also documented. RESULTS: 1. Of the 500 folders reviewed, a total of 153 (30,6%) of the patients were prescribed low dose tricyclic antidepressants at the consultation, during the time that the study took place. 2. The minimum dose used was 10mg and the maximum dose used was 75mg of tricyclic antidepressant. The median dose used was 25mg. 3. 83% of the folders had reasons for the use of low dose tricyclic antidepressant recorded. 17% of the folders had no reason recorded. 4. The reasons for using low dose tricyclic antidepressants, were for chronic pain syndromes, insomnia, somatic symptoms and for psychological or psychiatric reasons (anxiety or depression related symptoms). CONCLUSION: Low dose tricyclic antidepressants were justifiably prescribed for the many non-psychiatric and psychiatric conditions that respond to it, at Heideveld Community Health Centre.
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