Family practitioners and the prescription of psychoactive drugs.

Sixty-eight family physicians in Toronto were personally interviewed and reported the drugs they prescribed for a list of functional ailments, estimated extent of their per-patient prescribing of psychoactive drugs, also their attitudes toward emotionally disturbed or neurotic patients. Numerous variables were explored, but the only important correlation with lower prescribing rates was the period of graduation (1955 or later), irrespective of the patient population composition. Attitudes toward neurotics had no connection with per-patient prescribing, older graduates holding as favorable attitudes as more recent ones. An unfavorable attitude did, however, correlate with a greater number of patients seen on an average day. Background characteristics, professional associations and types of practices are described. Some irrational elements in prescribing are discussed.