This study examined the prevalent use of antipsychotic medication in British Columbia from 1997 to 2006 among individuals aged 20 and above. Utilization data were obtained from BC’s PharmaNet system – a provincially maintained database that contains prescription dispensation records and demographic information for individuals residing in BC. Using the American Hospital Formulary Service (AHFS) Pharmacologic-Therapeutic Classification, claim records for Antipsychotics, Atypical Antipsychotics, Butyrophenones, Phenotiazines, Thioxanthenes, and Miscellaneous Antipsychotics were identified in the PharmaNet dataset. Individuals who filled at least 1 antipsychotic prescription in a given year were counted as prevalent users. Results were examined across gender and several age groupings. Preliminary analyses of the results provide evidence for increasing prevalent use from 1997 to 2006. Similarly, initial results suggest prevalent use increases with age, with older age groups (75 and above) exhibiting dramatic jumps in utilization. Results will be discussed in light of the various indications for the use of antipsychotic medications and the various health concerns associated with its prolonged use, particularly among the elderly.
Joseph H. Puyat is an MSc student in the School of Population and Public Health (SPPH), Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia. He was a project manager and researcher at the Center for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addictions (CARMHA), Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University where he worked on various projects including the analysis of the BC provincial prescription database to examine the pharmacoepidemiology of psychotropic drugs, and, the development of supported self-management strategies for the treatment of mood disorders. Before joining CARMHA, he conducted studies on aggression and violence among students groups and wrote research reports examining social psychological processes shaping the Filipino youth\u27s self-concept
