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Consumers’ questions about antipsychotic medication: revealing safety concerns and the silent voices of young men

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Abstract

Purpose

Little is known about consumer information needs regarding antipsychotic medicines. Medicines call centre (MCC)-derived data are underutilised; and could provide insight into issues of importance to consumers. This study aimed to explore consumers’ information needs about antipsychotic medication sought from a national MCC in Australia.

Methods

Questions received by the National Prescribing Service Medicines Line relating to antipsychotic medication from September 2002 to June 2010 were examined by antipsychotic subclass and in relation to other medication queries.

Results

We identified 6,295 calls related to antipsychotic medication. While female callers predominated, the percentage of males with antipsychotic questions was statistically significantly higher than for other medication calls (33.9 vs 22.6 %; p < 0.001). There were distinct gender differences in medicines information seeking across age ranges. Younger men asked about second-generation antipsychotics, shifting toward first-generation antipsychotics after 45 years of age. Female interest in both subclasses was comparable, irrespective of age. Most callers asking about antipsychotics sought information for themselves (69.4 %). Callers were primarily concerned about safety (57.0 %), especially adverse drug reactions (28.8 %), and were more often prompted by a worrying symptom (23.8 %) compared with the rest of calls (17.2 %). Trends of antipsychotic questions received corresponded with antipsychotic prescription data.

Conclusions

The number of calls received by this MCC over time reveals an ongoing consumer need for additional, targeted information about antipsychotics. Noticeable was the relatively high frequency of young male callers asking about antipsychotics, indicating that call centres could be a way to reach these traditionally poor users of health services.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge NPS MedicineWise (formerly National Prescribing Service, Australia), funder of NPS Medicines Line and service provider since July 2010. We would also like to thank Mater Health Services for providing the raw service data from September 2002 to 30 June 2010; and Gabrielle Hartley, Mater Pharmacy Services, for database assistance. This study was supported by a travel scholarship for Rianne Weersink from the Chiel Hekster Fund and the Stipendium Fund of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Maatschappij ter bevordering der Pharmacie (KNMP), The Netherlands.

Conflict of interest

The sponsors had no role in study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the paper for publication. On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmaceutical Care, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Rianne A. Weersink & Katja Taxis

  2. Discipline of General Practice, School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Level 8, Health Sciences Building, Herston, Brisbane, QLD, 4029, Australia

    Rianne A. Weersink & Mieke L. van Driel

  3. Mater Pharmacy Services, Mater Children’s Hospital, Mater Health Services, Level 3, Brisbane, QLD, 4101, Australia

    Treasure M. McGuire

  4. School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, PACE Precinct, Building 870, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia

    Treasure M. McGuire

  5. Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD, 4229, Australia

    Treasure M. McGuire

Authors
  1. Rianne A. Weersink
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  2. Katja Taxis
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  3. Treasure M. McGuire
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  4. Mieke L. van Driel
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mieke L. van Driel.

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Weersink, R.A., Taxis, K., McGuire, T.M. et al. Consumers’ questions about antipsychotic medication: revealing safety concerns and the silent voices of young men. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 50, 725–733 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-014-1005-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-014-1005-y

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