Psychotropic drug prescription in Nigeria.

A study of prescribing practice in three psychiatric institutions in Nigeria revealed high frequency of polypharmacy liberal routine use of antiparkinsonian agents and daily multiple administration of drugs. In the treatment of depression and schizophrenia older and better known oral neuroleptics were preferred to newer ones, but there was apparent tendency for depressives to be under-treated and long-acting depot preparations were seldom administered to schizophrenics. Several aspects of drug use were similar to those observed elsewhere, particularly in the Anglo-American practice - an observation presumed explicable in terms of common psychiatry training background. The need for clinicians to comply with acceptable pharmacokinetic principles of drug treatment is stressed.