Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

How a novel programme for increasing awareness of health professionals resulted in a 14% decrease in patients using excessive doses of psychotropic drugs in western France

  • Pharmacoepidemiology and Prescription
  • Published:
European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

Consumption of high doses of psychotropic drugs is a public health problem in France. The Center for Evaluation and Information on Pharmacodependence and the General Health Insurance System decided that it was time to begin a regional programme on excessive consumption in a French region.

Purpose

The objectives of this programme were: (1) get health professionals (doctors and pharmacists) to realize that some of their patients were consuming excessive doses, and (2) achieve a decrease of excessive psychotropic drug use. In addition, in the course of the programme, we were able to gather some clinical data related to heavy consumers, and evaluate their possible addiction.

Method

This study is based on data related to 497,821 psychotropic drug consumers. Psychotropic drugs consumers whose consumption had exceeded twice the maximum allowance during at least 3 months in the second half of 2002 were contacted and unless the patients objected, a report on their personal circumstances was sent to their doctor(s) and pharmacist(s). We determined a quantitative method for the assessment of the results.

Results

Increasing awareness among the health professionals through this original programme resulted in a 14.1% decrease in the percentage of patients receiving excessive doses, a 66% decrease in the number of patients receiving more than twice the maximum recommended dose, among the selected cohort, and some rationalization of consumption as well as a decrease in the “doctor shopping” behaviour.

Conclusions

Medical practices did evolve and health professionals became aware of the benefit of their preventive action on the decrease of drug addiction.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité. Décret n°99-249 du 31 mars 1999 relatif aux substances vénéneuses et à l’organisation de la pharmacodépendance, modifiant le code de la santé publique. http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr

  2. Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité (1990) Circulaire DPHM/03/09/90/1 du 1er octobre 1990 relative à la mise en place des centres d’évaluation et d’information sur les pharmacodépendances. Bulletin officiel du ministère des affaires sociales et de la solidarité n°50 du 31 décembre p 71

  3. Article R 5219-13 du code de la santé publique

  4. Chambaretaud S (2000) La consommation des médicaments dans les principaux pays industrialisés. Paris, DRESS Etud Résult 47:1–8

    Google Scholar 

  5. Observatoire Français des Drogues et Toxicomanies (2002) Drogues et dépendances: indicateurs et tendances. OFDT, Paris, pp 195–201

    Google Scholar 

  6. Legrain M (1990) Rapport du groupe de réflexion sur l’utilisation des hypnotiques et tranquillisants en France. Syndicat National de l’Industrie Pharmaceutique (SNIP), Paris, p 11

    Google Scholar 

  7. Etude MEDICAM. http://www.medcost.fr

  8. Parquet PJ (1998) Pour une politique de prévention en matière de consommation de substances psychoactives. MILDT - Vanves- Ed CFES

  9. Fumeau B, Malinvaud F, Matterne B et al (2000) Subutex: attention aux patients nomades et aux associations de benzodiazépines. Rev Prat 14:2133–2137

    Google Scholar 

  10. Victorri-Vigneau C, Basset G, Bourin M et al (2003) Is hypnotic use influenced by legislation? Thérapie 58(5):425–430

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Spoerry A, Mezzarobba F, Pougnet B et al (1998) Pharmacodépendances en Béarn et Soule: une expérience de suivi au long cours (octobre 1996 à mars 1998). Rev Méd Assurance Maladie 4:64–671

    Google Scholar 

  12. Damon MN, Claroux-Bellocq D, Degre A (2001) Traitement de substitution par la buprénorphine haut dosage en médecine de ville en Aquitaine. Rev Méd Assurance Maladie 32:311–318

    Google Scholar 

  13. Spoerry A, Degre A, Bonnet P et al (2000) Suivi d’une population de malades dépendants aux opiacés. Rev Méd Assurance Maladie 3:21–27

    Google Scholar 

  14. Excler-Cavailher G, Liabeuf G, Noiry V et al (2001) Traitement de substitution par buprénorphine haut dosage: une expérience de suivi. Rev Méd Assurance maladie 32:305–310

    Google Scholar 

  15. Cholley D, Gainet JM, Osterman M et al (2001) Traitement de substitution par buprénorphine haut dosage ; quel rôle pour l’Assurance Maladie? Rev Méd Assurance Maladie 32:295–303

    Google Scholar 

  16. Ronfle E, Thirion X, Lapierre V et al (2001) Substitution par le Subutex: les 2/3 des patients sont observants. Rev Prat 15:23–28

    Google Scholar 

  17. Frauger E, Thirion X, Chanut C et al (2003) Misuse of trihexyphénidyle (Artane, Parkinane): recent trends. Thérapie 58(6):541–547

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Thirion X, Lapierre V, Micallef J et al (2002) Buprenorphine prescription by general practioners in a French region. Drug Alcohol Depend 65:197–204

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Weisner C, Schmidt L, Tam T (1995) Ag bias in community-based prevalence estimates: toward an unduplicated count of problem drinkers and drug users. Addiction 90:391–405

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Mant A, Duncan-Jones P, Saltman D et al (1998) Development of long term use of psychotropic drugs by general practice patients. Br Med J 296:251–254

    Google Scholar 

  21. Blennow G, Romelsjo A, Leifman H et al (1994) Sedatives and hypnotics in Stockolm: social factors and kind of use. Am J Pub Health 84:242–246

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Swartz M, Landerman R, George LK et al (1991) Benzodiazepine anti-anxiety agents: prevalence and correlates of use in a southern community. Am J Pub Health 81:242–246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Pradel V, Thirion X, Ronfle E et al (2004) Assessment of doctor-shopping for high dosage buprenorphine maintenance treatment in a French region: development of a method for prescription database. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Safe 13(7):473–481

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre d’Evaluation et d’Information sur la Pharmacodépendance, Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, Institut de Biologie, 9, quai Moncousu, 44093, Nantes Cedex, France

    C. Victorri-Vigneau & P. Jolliet

  2. Social Security Medical Adviser, 46 rue de la Marne, 85100, La Roche sur Yon, France

    G. Basset

Authors
  1. C. Victorri-Vigneau
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. G. Basset
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. P. Jolliet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. Victorri-Vigneau.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Victorri-Vigneau, C., Basset, G. & Jolliet, P. How a novel programme for increasing awareness of health professionals resulted in a 14% decrease in patients using excessive doses of psychotropic drugs in western France. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 62, 311–316 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-006-0099-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-006-0099-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation