Psychoactive drugs : improving prescribing practices

Abstract

A wide-ranging analysis of what can be done to reduce the misuse of psychoactive drugs without compromising appreciation for their therapeutic value. The book opens with an overview of changing trends in the use and misuse of psychoactive drugs, including neuroleptics, antidepressants, hypnotic sedatives, and anxiolytics. Common patterns of inappropriate use, in developing as well as developed countries, are identified and different methods for assessing levels of use are critically compared. For each class of drug, readers are given brief information on dependence liability, therapeutic value, and social benefits. A timely reminder of good clinical practice is provided in a chapter outlining the principles of rational prescribing as these pertain to patients complaining of life stress, to patients whose complaints are related to disease states, and to doctor shoppers . Readers will also find a discussion of non-physical approaches that can be used to alleviate symptoms usually treated with psychoactive substances. The remaining chapters concentrate on the importance of physician education as a strategy for reducing the misuse of psychoactive drugs on the largest possible scale