Patterns of Antipsychotic Prescribing by Physicians to Young Children

Abstract

Objective: Antipsychotic use among young children ha grown rapidly despite a lack of approval by the U.S. Food an Drug Administration (FDA) for broad use in this age group Characteristics of physicians who prescribed antipsychotic to young children were identified, and prescribing pattern involving young children and adults were compared Methods: Physician-level prescribing data from IMS Health' Xponent database were linked with American Medica Association Masterfile data and analyzed. The sampl included all U.S. psychiatrists and a random sample of 5 of family medicine physicians who wrote at least te antipsychotic prescriptions per year from 2008 to 201 (N=31,713). Logistic and hierarchical binomial regressio models were estimated to examine physician prescribin for children ages zero to nine, and the types and number of ingredients used for children versus adults ages 20 t 64 were compared Results: Among antipsychotic prescribers, 42.2% had writte at least one antipsychotic prescription for young children Such prescribing was more likely among physicians age #3 versus 60 (odds ratio [OR]=1.70) and physicians in rura versus nonrural areas (OR=1.11) and was less likely amon males (OR=.93) and graduates of a top-25 versus a lowerranke U.S. medical school (OR=.87). Among physicians wh prescribed antipsychotics to young children and adults 75.0% of prescriptions for children and 35.7% of those fo adults were for drugs with an FDA-Approved indication fo that age. Fewer antipsychotic agents were prescribed for youn children (median=2) versus adults (median=7) Conclusions: Prescribing antipsychotics for young childre was relatively common, but prescribing patterns differe between young children and adults.