Factors influencing dispensing of psychotropic medications to patients with asthma: a community pharmacy-based survey

Background To our knowledge, the use of psychotropic medications (antidepressant, anxiolytic, and hypnotic agents) in patients with asthma has not been extensively explored. Objective To identify factors associated with the use of these medications in patients with asthma. Methods Regular customers (aged 18–50 years) of 348 pharmacies in 9 French regions were consecutively recruited from November 2003 to June 2004. Patients with a prescription for an asthma medication were included. Patients completed a questionnaire, complemented by the computerized records of their therapy dispensed in the past 12 months. Asthma control was measured with the Asthma Control Test. Results Among 886 patients (mean age, 37.4 years; 55.0% female), during the 12 months before the survey, the proportions who received at least 1 U of anxiolytic, antidepressant, and hypnotic agents were 25.6%, 13.7%, and 13.0%, respectively. Higher dispensing levels of antidepressant, anxiolytic, and hypnotic agents were observed with decreasing asthma control ( P < .001 for each drug class). Other correlates of receiving any of these classes included older age, female sex, smoking status, and dispensing of antireflux treatment ( P < .001 for all). These results were confirmed in multivariate analyses. Conclusions Psychotropic drugs were commonly dispensed to patients with asthma, and correlates of receiving these drugs were identified in this population. The high use of psychotropic medication, particularly in patients with poorly controlled asthma, is of concern.