Mojtabai R, Olfson M. National trends in psychotropic medication polypharmacy in office-based psychiatry. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2010;67:26-36.
New data suggest that prescribing more than one psychiatric medication at a time is a growing phenomenon. According to the CDC's ongoing National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey program, published in the January 2010 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, from 2005 to 2006, 60% of patients left their psychiatrists' offices with at least two prescriptions- an increase of 43% from 1996 to 1997. In fact, 33% of these patients were prescribed three or more medications in 2005 to 2006, compared with 17% in 1996 to 1997.
Usually, these prescriptions were a combination of antidepressants and sedative-hypnotic drugs, but there were other common ones, such as antidepressants and antipsychotics. In many cases, combinations of antidepressants in the same class were prescribed. Although clinical trials have been conducted on some drug combinations, there is still not enough research to determine their safety, efficacy, or necessity.
The researchers were uncertain of the exact reasons for this growing trend, but did offer several opinions. Some pointed to increased patient education due to pharmaceutical advertising, lack of efficacy of current drugs, and efforts to combat certain adverse reactions by adding a new drug.