Twenty-four years of prescription patterns in bipolar disorder inpatients with vs without lithium: a pharmacoepidemiological analysis of 8,707 cases in German-speaking countries.

Background: Global pharmacoepidemiological evidence suggests dynamically changing prescription patterns in patients with bipolar disorders. We assessed trends in the use of pharmacological agents used in the management of bipolar disorders in inpatients.

Methods: We examined drug use data provided by the Drug Safety in Psychiatry Programme AMSP (German: "Arzneimittelsicherheit in der Psychiatrie"), including psychiatric hospitals in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Psychotropic drug-induced adverse drug reactions in 462,661 psychiatric inpatients in relation to age: results from a German drug surveillance program from 1993-2016.

Background: Clinical practice suggests that older adults (i.e., ≥ 65 years of age) experience adverse drug reactions (ADRs) more often than younger patients (i.

Twenty-Three Years of Declining Lithium Use: Analysis of a Pharmacoepidemiological Dataset from German-Speaking Countries.

Introduction: Pharmacoepidemiological data suggest that lithium prescriptions for bipolar disorder are gradually decreasing, with less attention having been paid to other indications.

Methods: We examined lithium prescriptions between 1994 and 2017 in data provided by the Drug Safety in Psychiatry Program AMSP, including psychiatric hospitals in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. We compared lithium use for different diagnoses before and after 2001 and in three periods (T1: 1994-2001, T2: 2002-2009, and T3: 2010-2017).

Controversies regarding lithium-associated weight gain: case-control study of real-world drug safety data.

Background: The impact of long-term lithium treatment on weight gain has been a controversial topic with conflicting evidence. We aim to assess reporting of weight gain associated with lithium and other mood stabilizers compared to lamotrigine which is considered free of metabolic adverse drug reactions (ADRs).

Methods: We conducted a case/non-case pharmacovigilance study using data from the AMSP project (German: "Arzneimittelsicherheit in der Psychiatrie"; i.

[Effect of the direct healthcare professional communication on citalopram and escitalopram drug utilization for inpatient treatment of anxiety disorders].

Background: In 2011, direct healthcare professional communication (DHPC) letters on citalopram and escitalopram were sent out to address the risk of QTc prolongation in the ECG. Healthcare professionals were informed about a reduction of the maximum recommended daily dose. Furthermore, a contraindication for QTc-prolonging co-medication was given.

Pharmacological treatment of major depressive disorder according to severity in psychiatric inpatients: results from the AMSP pharmacovigilance program from 2001-2017.

The International Classification of Diseases (10 Version) categorizes major depressive disorder (MDD) according to severity. Guidelines provide recommendations for the treatment of MDD according to severity. Aim of this study was to assess real-life utilization of psychotropic drugs based on severity of MDD in psychiatric inpatients.

Dear Doctor Letters regarding citalopram and escitalopram: guidelines vs real-world data.

Dear Doctor Letters (DDLs, Direct Healthcare Professional Communications) from 2011 provided guidance regarding QTc-prolonging effects with risk of torsade de pointes during treatment with citalopram and escitalopram. This study examines the DDLs' effects on prescription behavior. Data from 8842 inpatients treated with citalopram or escitalopram with a primary diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) were derived from a European pharmacovigilance study (Arzneimittelsicherheit in der Psychiatrie, AMSP) from 2001 to 2017.

Treatment of depression: Are psychotropic drugs appropriately dosed in women and in the elderly? Dosages of psychotropic drugs by sex and age in routine clinical practice.

Background: Several researchers have shown higher concentration-dose ratios of psychotropic drugs in women and the elderly. Therefore, lower dosages of psychotropic drugs may be recommended in women and the elderly. This study describes sex- and age-related dosage of psychotropic drugs prescribed to patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) in routine clinical practice.

Sex differences in pharmacological treatment of major depressive disorder: results from the AMSP pharmacovigilance program from 2001 to 2017.

Data on drug prescription for outpatients with major depressive disorder (MDD) suggest women are more likely to be treated with psychotropic drugs, while data on sex differences regarding pharmacological treatment of psychiatric inpatients are currently not available. Drug utilization data from the program "Drug Safety in Psychiatry" (German: Arzneimittelsicherheit in der Psychiatrie, AMSP) of 44,418 psychiatric inpatients with MDD were analyzed for sex differences between 2001 and 2017. Sex differences were analyzed using relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

Time trends in pharmacological treatment of major depressive disorder: Results from the AMSP Pharmacovigilance Program from 2001-2017.

Background: Currently available data on the prescription practice among patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) reflect the outpatient setting. This is the first study to provide information on time trends of psychotropic drug utilization in psychiatric inpatients.

Method: Data stems from German-speaking psychiatric hospitals collected by the program "Drug Safety in Psychiatry" (Arzneimittelsicherheit in der Psychiatrie, AMSP) between 2001 and 2017.

Psychopharmacological Treatment of Schizophrenia Over Time in 30 908 Inpatients: Data From the AMSP Study.

Background: Psychotropic drugs are the cornerstone of schizophrenia treatment, often requiring lifelong treatment. Data on pharmacotherapy in inpatient settings are lacking.

Methods: Prescription data of schizophrenic inpatients within the time period 2000-2015 were obtained from the database of the Drug Safety Program in Psychiatry (AMSP).

Cutaneous adverse drug reactions to psychotropic drugs and their risk factors - a case-control study.

Cutaneous adverse drug reactions (CADRs) in patients with psychotropic drugs are common. Large studies on the relevant drugs and other risk factors are still scarce. 594 cases of severe CADRs ("cases") were compared with 8085 cases of other adverse drug reactions ("non-cases") documented in a pharmacovigilance program in psychiatry (AMSP) from 1993 to 2014.

Use and safety of antiepileptic drugs in psychiatric inpatients-data from the AMSP study.

The psychiatric utilization patterns and risks of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) were assessed by using data from the drug safety programme Arzneimittelsicherheit in der Psychiatrie over the time period 1993-2013. In a total of 432,215 patients, the main indications for AED use were acute mania, schizoaffective disorder, and schizophrenic and organic psychoses. Valproic acid (VPA) was the most common substance across all of those groups, reaching administration rates of up to 50% since 2005, at which time carbamazepine (CBZ) administration consistently dropped below a rate of 10%.

Pharmacotherapy for obsessive compulsive disorder in clinical practice - Data of 842 inpatients from the International AMSP Project between 1994 and 2012.

Background: Specific treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is based on cognitive-behavioral therapy, serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) or their combination. Treatment strategies do not always follow evidence-based guidelines in outpatient settings. Data on pharmacotherapy in inpatient settings are lacking.

Drug-Induced Liver Injury during Antidepressant Treatment: Results of AMSP, a Drug Surveillance Program.

Background: Drug-induced liver injury is a common cause of liver damage and the most frequent reason for withdrawal of a drug in the United States. The symptoms of drug-induced liver damage are extremely diverse, with some patients remaining asymptomatic.

Methods: This observational study is based on data of Arzneimittelsicherheit in der Psychiatrie, a multicenter drug surveillance program in German-speaking countries (Austria, Germany, and Switzerland) recording severe drug reactions in psychiatric inpatients.

Psychopharmacological treatment of 1650 in-patients with acute mania-data from the AMSP study.

Background: Several studies have analyzed prescription patterns for bipolar disorder, but few have for acute mania. Treatment strategies in this complex domain change over time and do not always follow evidence-based guidelines.

Methods: Prescription data of in-patients suffering from acute mania in the time period from 2005 to 2012 were obtained from the database of the Drug Safety Program in Psychiatry (Institut für Arzneimittelsicherheit in der Psychiatrie; AMSP).

Second-generation antipsychotics in a tertiary care hospital: prescribing patterns, metabolic profiles, and drug interactions.

We carried out an observational study that analyzed population characteristics, metabolic profiles, potentially interacting pharmacotherapy, and related adverse events in second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) users of a tertiary care hospital. Within our pharmacoepidemiological database derived from electronic medical records of 82,358 hospitalizations, we identified 1136 hospitalizations contributing 9165 patient-days with exposure to SGA. Blood pressure, blood glucose, lipids, and BMI had been documented in 97.

Psychopharmacological treatment of 2195 in-patients with borderline personality disorder: A comparison with other psychiatric disorders.

Patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) are usually prescribed a variety of psychotropic drugs; however, none is recommended in the guidelines nor has any been approved for this indication. As data on drug prescriptions for BPD are sparse, cross-sectional data from the European Drug Safety Project AMSP were used to analyse drug prescriptions of 2195 in-patients with BPD between 2001 and 2011, and the mean values, confidence intervals and regression analyses were calculated. 70% of all BPD patients were medicated with antipsychotics and/or antidepressants, 33% with anticonvulsants, 30% with benzodiazepines, and 4% with lithium; 90% received at least one, 80%≥2, and 54%≥3 psychotropic drugs concomitantly (mean: 2.

Cardiovascular adverse reactions during antidepressant treatment: a drug surveillance report of German-speaking countries between 1993 and 2010.

Background: Antidepressants (ADs) are known to have the potential to cause various cardiovascular adverse drug reactions (ADRs). The tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) were first revealed to be a possible source of cardiovascular ADRs. In recent years, newer classes of ADs were also suggested to have a higher risk of cardiovascular adverse effects.

Age and adverse drug reactions from psychopharmacological treatment: data from the AMSP drug surveillance programme in Switzerland.

Question Under Study: The frequency of severe adverse drug reactions (ADRs) from psychotropic drugs was investigated in hospitalised psychiatric patients in relation to their age. Specifically, the incidence of ADRs in patients up to 60 years was compared to that of patients older than 60 years.

Methods: Prescription rates of psychotropic drugs and reports of severe ADRs were collected in psychiatric hospitals in Switzerland between 2001 and 2010.

Comparative performance of two drug interaction screening programmes analysing a cross-sectional prescription dataset of 84,625 psychiatric inpatients.

Background: Clinical decision support software (CDSS) solutions can automatically identify drug interactions and thereby aim to improve drug safety. However, data on the comparative performance of different CDSS to detect and appropriately classify interactions in real-life prescription datasets is limited.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the results from two different CDSS analysing the pharmacotherapy of a large population of psychiatric inpatients for drug interactions.

Mono- and combination drug therapies in hospitalized patients with bipolar depression. Data from the European drug surveillance program AMSP.

Background: For the pharmacological treatment of bipolar depression several guidelines exist. It is largely unknown, to what extent the prescriptions in daily clinical routine correspond to these evidence based recommendations and which combinations of psychotropic drugs are frequently used.

Methods: The prescriptions of psychotropic drugs were investigated of all in-patients with bipolar depression (n = 2246; time period 1994-2009) from hospitals participating in the drug surveillance program AMSP.