The persistence of prescribing habits: a survey and follow-up of prescribing to chronic hospital in-patients.

This study describes a survey of prescribing to psychiatric patients on long-stay wards, together with a follow-up survey carried out after a 2-year period. Our findings show that there had been no significant improvement in polypharmacy and overprescribing of psychotropic drugs over that period, 1983-1985. Guidelines for improvement are suggested.