Prescribing Habits for Elderly Patients in a Sample of Psychiatry Residents at Ibn Nafis Psychiatric Hospital: A Descriptive Study

As the elderly population increases the domain of geriatric psychiatry is developing. Senior patients have unique clinical presentations and coexisting medical conditions necessitating a thorough assessment and treatment plan. We aimed to investigate how residents at the Ibn Nafis University Psychiatric Center in Marrakech (Morocco) prescribe psychotropic drugs to elderly patients. We also explored the recommendations offered by research for the treatment of psychiatric disorders in this citizenry. A cross-sectional descriptive design was employed. Seventeen psychiatry residents at the Ibn Nafis University Psychiatric Hospital made up the research population. A survey in French was provided to every resident for completion. The collected data was processed using Microsoft Excel 2019. We found that 38% of the residents used typical antipsychotics, 81% used atypical antipsychotics and 94% used benzodiazepines in the event of agitation. For Major Depressive Disorder MDD 72% prescribed Sertraline. For anxiety disorders sertraline was prescribed by 56% of the sample. Of the medications prescribed by the residents risperidone was selected the most frequently by 77%. Alprazolam was found to be prescribed by 56% in cases of insomnia. The study emphasizes the need of a tailored therapeutic approach for elderly patients. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) especially sertraline, atypical antipsychotics especially risperidone, anxiolytics especially hydroxyzine and alprazolam are preferred by residents at Ibn Nafis University Psychiatric Center over other psychotropics in the context of older adults. This work also highlights the value of weighing each medications benefit-risk ratio. Prescription of psychotropic medications to elderly patients ought to be tailored to their particular requirements and present health status. Etiologic treatment, the minimum effective dose and monotherapy ought to take precedence over symptomatic treatment. Additionally ............