TY - JOUR
T1 - Research Letter
T2 - Dispensing of psychotropic medications in Australia between 2013 and 2022
AU - Almeida, Osvaldo P
AU - Etherton-Beer, Christopher
AU - Sanfilippo, Frank
AU - Preen, David B
AU - Page, Amy
PY - 2024/10
Y1 - 2024/10
N2 - OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the proportion of Australians dispensed psychotropic medications between 2013 and 2022 according to their age.METHODS: Services Australia provided a de-identified 10% random Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme sample that allowed us to determine, for each year, the proportion of Australians dispensed at least one script for antipsychotics, antidepressants, anxiolytics, or hypnotics. The classification of medications followed Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical coding. Participants were stratified into 10-year age groups from 0-9 to ⩾90 years, and sex was coded as male/female. We retrieved population numbers from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.RESULTS: The number of records per year ranged from 1,540,520 to 1,746,402, and 54.10% were for females. A greater proportion of older adults, particularly those aged ⩾70 years, were dispensed antipsychotics, antidepressants, anxiolytics and hypnotics than any other age group. The proportion of people who dispensed antipsychotics, anxiolytics and hypnotics declined between 2013 and 2022 but increased for antidepressants, most markedly for adolescents and young adults. Females were more frequently dispensed antidepressants, anxiolytics and hypnotics than males, but males were more frequently dispensed antipsychotics than females, albeit not in later life.CONCLUSION: Older age groups and females are the most frequent recipients of psychotropic medications dispensed in Australia.
AB - OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the proportion of Australians dispensed psychotropic medications between 2013 and 2022 according to their age.METHODS: Services Australia provided a de-identified 10% random Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme sample that allowed us to determine, for each year, the proportion of Australians dispensed at least one script for antipsychotics, antidepressants, anxiolytics, or hypnotics. The classification of medications followed Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical coding. Participants were stratified into 10-year age groups from 0-9 to ⩾90 years, and sex was coded as male/female. We retrieved population numbers from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.RESULTS: The number of records per year ranged from 1,540,520 to 1,746,402, and 54.10% were for females. A greater proportion of older adults, particularly those aged ⩾70 years, were dispensed antipsychotics, antidepressants, anxiolytics and hypnotics than any other age group. The proportion of people who dispensed antipsychotics, anxiolytics and hypnotics declined between 2013 and 2022 but increased for antidepressants, most markedly for adolescents and young adults. Females were more frequently dispensed antidepressants, anxiolytics and hypnotics than males, but males were more frequently dispensed antipsychotics than females, albeit not in later life.CONCLUSION: Older age groups and females are the most frequent recipients of psychotropic medications dispensed in Australia.
U2 - 10.1177/00048674241270918
DO - 10.1177/00048674241270918
M3 - Article
C2 - 39129192
SN - 0004-8674
VL - 58
SP - 914
EP - 917
JO - The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry
JF - The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry
IS - 10
ER -