Survey of psychotropic drug prescribing pattern for long stay patients.

This study describes two surveys of psychotropic drug prescribing patterns for long stay patients in a teaching institute at an interval of 4 years. Polypharmacy was found to be at a low key, with minimal use of anticholinergics. The chief difference between the two surveys was in the significantly more use of once a day medication in 1988 compared to two divided doses in 1984. The importance of conducting such surveys periodically as a form of self audit is discussed.