Irrational Use of Medications among Adults with Insomnia: An Observational Study at a Sleep Clinic in Mexico

Carvalho-Silva, Lucelya; Jiménez-Correa, Ulises; Santana-Miranda, Rafael; Heyerdahl-Viau, Ivo; Benitez-Morales, Jonatan; García-Casas, Mireya; Martínez-Núñez, Juan Manuel

doi:10.3390/pharmacy12020056

Open AccessArticle

Irrational Use of Medications among Adults with Insomnia: An Observational Study at a Sleep Clinic in Mexico

by

Lucelya Carvalho-Silva

¹,

Ulises Jiménez-Correa

²,

Rafael Santana-Miranda

²,

Ivo Heyerdahl-Viau

¹,

Jonatan Benitez-Morales

³,

Mireya García-Casas

⁴ and

Juan Manuel Martínez-Núñez

^1,*

¹

Department of Biological Systems, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Campus Xochimilco, Mexico City 04960, Mexico

²

Clinic of Sleep Disorders, School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City 06720, Mexico

³

Department of Hospital Pharmacy, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias (INER), Mexico City 14080, Mexico

⁴

Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Facultad de Estudios Superiores, Campus Zaragoza, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City 09230, Mexico

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Pharmacy 2024, 12(2), 56; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy12020056

Submission received: 6 February 2024 / Revised: 16 March 2024 / Accepted: 25 March 2024 / Published: 27 March 2024

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Medication Use and Patient Safety in Clinical Pharmacy)

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Abstract

Background: To determine the patterns of irrational use of medications among a sample of adult patients with insomnia. Methods: We included 89 adult patients diagnosed with chronic insomnia who had consumed medications for this disorder during the 12 months prior to admission to a specialized Sleep Disorders Clinic (SDC) in Mexico City. With a 13-item survey, information was gathered on patterns of medication use and irrational use, considering therapeutic indications, dose, route of administration, and duration of treatment. Results: The participants had taken hypnotics (65%), antidepressants (21%), anticonvulsants (8%), and antipsychotics (6%), and 92% had irrational use of their medication. Irrational use was greatest with benzodiazepines and antipsychotics. There were two main types of irrational use: (1) 47% of participants had consumed a drug unsuitable for their condition, although it was almost always prescribed by a doctor, and (2) 43% had consumed a drug for longer than the maximum time recommended. Conclusion: It is worrisome to find that the irrational use of medications to treat insomnia, especially benzodiazepines and antipsychotics is widespread. Although most participants had acquired their medication by prescription, for many the drug was inappropriate to treat their condition. It should be mandatory that patients with insomnia receive specialized medical attention in primary clinical care.

Keywords: insomnia; irrational use of drugs; hypnotics; antidepressants; anticonvulsants; antipsychotics

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MDPI and ACS Style

Carvalho-Silva, L.; Jiménez-Correa, U.; Santana-Miranda, R.; Heyerdahl-Viau, I.; Benitez-Morales, J.; García-Casas, M.; Martínez-Núñez, J.M. Irrational Use of Medications among Adults with Insomnia: An Observational Study at a Sleep Clinic in Mexico. Pharmacy 2024, 12, 56. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy12020056

AMA Style

Carvalho-Silva L, Jiménez-Correa U, Santana-Miranda R, Heyerdahl-Viau I, Benitez-Morales J, García-Casas M, Martínez-Núñez JM. Irrational Use of Medications among Adults with Insomnia: An Observational Study at a Sleep Clinic in Mexico. Pharmacy. 2024; 12(2):56. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy12020056

Chicago/Turabian Style

Carvalho-Silva, Lucelya, Ulises Jiménez-Correa, Rafael Santana-Miranda, Ivo Heyerdahl-Viau, Jonatan Benitez-Morales, Mireya García-Casas, and Juan Manuel Martínez-Núñez. 2024. "Irrational Use of Medications among Adults with Insomnia: An Observational Study at a Sleep Clinic in Mexico" Pharmacy 12, no. 2: 56. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy12020056

APA Style

Carvalho-Silva, L., Jiménez-Correa, U., Santana-Miranda, R., Heyerdahl-Viau, I., Benitez-Morales, J., García-Casas, M., & Martínez-Núñez, J. M. (2024). Irrational Use of Medications among Adults with Insomnia: An Observational Study at a Sleep Clinic in Mexico. Pharmacy, 12(2), 56. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy12020056

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Irrational Use of Medications among Adults with Insomnia: An Observational Study at a Sleep Clinic in Mexico

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