Outpatient prescribing practices in asian countries

Abstract

Introduction: Every country has its differences in the characteristics of psychiatric practice including those relating to prescribing psychotropic drugs. In Asian countries only limited data is available. Most of the earlier data involved Asian refugees or Asian patients born in Western countries and the results were also inconsistent (Bond, 1991). However, Asia covers a large geographical area and diverse populations with different physical features, cultural backgrounds, and dietary habits. The socioeconomic differences in Asian countries also have implications on the number of psychiatrists and mental health workers, and infrastructure for mental health services. A review of outpatients ..