Use of antibiotics and psychoactive preparations.

This is a report of selected aspects of a larger study of 70 general practitioners. The method involved a detailed study of performance over a period of three days using rating scales and check-lists to assess competence. A possible relationship between competence and rate of antibiotic prescribing was found. There was variation in the extent of psychiatric history-taking when psychoactive preparations were used. Advice about potential side effects was given in only a third of instances when a psychoactive preparation was prescribed for a new episode of illness.