Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T17:52:06.139Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Drug Monitoring in a Psychiatric Unit

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

David J. Hall
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health, University of Aberdeen

Extract

Finney (1965) has defined drug monitoring as ‘any systematic collection and analysis of information pertaining to adverse effects or other idiosyncratic phenomena associated with the normal use of drugs'. The purpose of this study was to devise a method which could reliably detect and evaluate the frequency and nature of untoward events in a psychiatric population, examine selected factors which might influence the appearance of these events and finally study the inter-relationships between patient, drug and events. In a psychiatric unit where electroplexy is a common form of treatment and is often combined with drug therapy it is as essential to study the effects of electroplexy as it is to study the effects of drugs; in this paper, therefore, the word ‘drug’ is taken to include electroplexy. This paper describes the design, implementation and results of the monitor as a detection device, and looks at factors which were found to be associated with the occurrence of untoward drug events. No attempt, however, was made to examine the effects of other treatment measures, such as psychotherapy.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1971 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Baldwin, J. A., and Evans, J. H. (1967). Operational Tables for the Year 1966. Department of Mental Health, University of Aberdeen.Google Scholar
Crooks, J., Clark, C. G., Caie, H. B., and Mawson, W. B. (1965). ‘Prescribing and administration of drugs in hospital.’ Lancet, i, 373.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crooks, J., Weir, R. D., Coull, D. C., McNab, J. W., Calder, G., Barnett, J. W., and Caie, H. B. (1967). ‘Evaluation of a method of prescribing drugs in hospital and a new method of recording their administration.’ Lancet, i, 668.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finney, D. J. (1965). ‘The design and logic of a monitor of drug use.’ Journal of Chronic Diseases, 18, 77.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gardiner, A. Q. (1967). ‘A monitor of drug use in psychiatric practice.’ Ph.D. Thesis, University of Aberdeen.Google Scholar
Gardiner, A. Q. (1968). ‘The need for drug monitoring in psychiatric practice.’ British Journal of Psychiatry, 114, 877.Google Scholar
Herridge, C. F. (1960). ‘Physical disorders in psychiatric illness. A study of 209 consecutive admissions.’ Lancet, 2, 949.Google Scholar
Hoddinott, B. C., Gowdey, C. W., Coulter, W. K., and Parker, J. M. (1967). ‘Drug reactions and errors in administration on a medical ward.’ Journal of the Canadian Medical Association, 97, 1001.Google Scholar
Hurwitz, N., and Wade, O. L. (1969). ‘Intensive hospital monitoring: adverse reactions to drugs.’ British Medical Journal, i, 531.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hurwitz, N. (1969). ‘Predisposing factors in adverse reactions to drugs.’ British Medical Journal, i, 536.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kellner, R. (1966). ‘Psychiatric ill-health following physical illness.’ British Journal of Psychiatry, 112, 71.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Marshall, H. E. S. (1947). ‘Incidence of physical disorders among psychiatric in-patients.’ British Medical Journal, ii, 468.Google Scholar
Ogilvie, R. I., and Ruedy, J. (1967). ‘Adverse drug reactions during hospitalization.’ Journal of the Canadian Medical Association, 97, 1450.Google Scholar
Seidl, L. G., Friend, D., and Sadusk, J. (1966). ‘Meeting the problem: experiences and problems involved in reporting adverse drug reactions.’ Journal of the American Medical Association, 196, 421.Google Scholar
Vere, D. W. (1965). ‘Errors of complex prescribing.’ Lancet, i, 370.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wallace, W. F. M. (1965). ‘Drugs in hospital.’ Ibid. i, 555.Google Scholar
Wynne-Davies, D. (1964). ‘General medical problems in a psychiatric hospital.’ Lancet, i, 545.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.