Table 2.
Prescriptions for Benzodiazepine and Sedative-Hypnotic Drugs in Relation to Setting Where Drug Was Initiated (n = 546)
| Prescribing Setting; No. (%) of Patients*
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristic | Prescribed before Admission and Continued in Hospital | Prescribed in Hospital | p Value† |
| All prescriptions | 326 (59.7) | 220 (40.3) | |
|
| |||
| Specialty | 0.28 | ||
| Medicine (n = 335) | 194 (57.9) | 141 (42.1) | |
| Surgery (n = 111) | 75 (67.6) | 36 (32.4) | |
| Transitional care (n = 42) | 25 (59.5) | 17 (40.5) | |
| Other‡ (n = 58) | 32 (55.2) | 26 (44.8) | |
|
| |||
| Population centre§ | 0.42 | ||
| Large (n = 222) | 128 (57.7) | 94 (42.3) | |
| Small or medium (n = 324) | 198 (61.1) | 126 (38.9) | |
|
| |||
| Sex | 0.005 | ||
| Female (n = 297) | 194 (65.3)¶ | 103 (34.7)¶ | |
| Male (n = 249) | 132 (53.0)¶ | 117 (47.0)¶ | |
|
| |||
| Drug regimen | < 0.001 | ||
| Scheduled (n = 326) | 239 (73.3)** | 87 (26.7)** | |
| PRN (n = 206) | 81 (39.3)** | 125 (60.7)** | |
| Both scheduled and PRN (n = 14) | 6 (42.9) | 8 (57.1) | |
|
| |||
| Order type | < 0.001 | ||
| Written order (n = 512) | 324 (63.3)†† | 188 (36.7)†† | |
| Preprinted order (n = 32) | 2 (6.3)†† | 30 (93.8)†† | |
| Unknown (n = 2) | 0 (0) | 2 (100) | |
PRN = as needed.
Percentages are calculated across rows, in relation to n value in column 1.
Tested by χ2.
Rehabilitation, obstetrics, restorative care, mixed medicine/surgery.
Large population centres defined as ≥ 100 000 residents; small and medium population centres defined as < 100 000 residents.
Women were significantly different from men in terms of both drugs prescribed before admission and drugs prescribed while in hospital.
Scheduled drug regimen was significantly different from PRN regimen for both drugs prescribed before admission and drugs prescribed while in hospital.
Written orders were significantly different from preprinted orders for both drugs prescribed before admission and drugs prescribed while in hospital.