Using a Drug Audit Program to Reduce Polypharmacy in a State Psychiatric Hospital

Our study found that conformance with antianxiety, hypnotic, and overall criteria was significantly improved in the repeat audit. It should be erriphasized that the prescriber's responsibility is to deliver the best possible care, and that in some cases this requires drug cornbinations that would be out of conformance with audit criteria. However, drug utilization studies such as the one reported here can be helpful in targeting potential problems for further study. We believe that the design of this study can be usefully applied elsewhere.