PHARMACOTHERAPY IN OUTPATIENT PSYCHIATRIC PRACTICE

Objective: This article examines some of the factors that influence th e extent to which psychiatrists provide pharmacotherapy to their outpa tients. Method: Data from the 1988-1989 APA Professional Activities Su rvey are used to define the characteristics of psychiatrists who presc ribe medications to a high, medium, and low proportion of their outpat ients in treatment. Outpatient assessments, evaluations, or consultati ons were excluded from this analysis. Correlations between psychiatric practice characteristics and rates of pharmacotherapy are examined. R esults: One-third of psychiatrists prescribed medications to less than 46.7% of their outpatients, one-third prescribed medications to betwe en 46.7% and 84.6%, and one-third prescribed medications to over 84.6% of their outpatients. The psychiatrists in the last group included a proportionately higher number of young psychiatrists, men, nonwhites, those without psychoanalytic or child psychiatry training, those with larger caseloads, and those who worked in the public sector. These psy chiatrists also treated a disproportionately large number of patients with schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders. In a multivariate model, clinical, practice, and educational variables, but not demograp hic variables, were found to correlate with the extent of pharmacother apy provided. Conclusions: Psychiatrists vary widely in the extent to which they are involved in prescribing psychotropic medications. The d iagnostic composition of their caseload, their work setting, and their educational background, but not their demographic characteristics, ap pear to influence the extent of their involvement.