Psychotropic drug use in family practice.

In an attempt to assess the precision of an illness-treatment "fit" between dispensing and actual need for psychotropic medications, the present study examined the dispensing patterns to consecutive attenders of private general practice. "Conservative" use of psychotropic drugs was indicated insofar as patients were seldom dispensed medication in the absence of emotional problems, and the presence of emotional problems frequently was not accompanied by the dispensing of medication. In addition, specific social and illness factors were located which could differentially predict either the presence of emotional problems, the use of psychotropic drugs, or both of these variables. The potential for constructing a more precise illness-treatment fit was considered.