Abstract

SILVEIRA, Suely Teodora da; CARVALHO, Andréa Resende Vieira de; VECCHIA, Marcelo Dalla  and  MELO, Walter. The Dispensing of Psychotropic Drugs at a Small Town: Considerations on Life Medicalization. Psicol. pesq. [online]. 2016, vol.10, n.1, pp. 17-25. ISSN 1982-1247.  http://dx.doi.org/10.24879/201600100010043.

The medicalization of life hypothesis is discussed by means of the study of psychotropic medication dispensing in a small town at Minas Gerais state, Brazil. A number of 1.240 records of dispensation accomplished at public health services in 2012 were systematized and analyzed. Anti-epileptics were mostly prescribed in the period (37.6%), followed by anxiolytics (33.8%) and antipsychotics (17.3%). Women received the majority of prescriptions (67.6%). Prescriptions were concentrated in the following age groups: 50-59 (20.8%), 60-69 (18.5%) and 40-49 (17%). The adherence to psychotropic drugs to treat mental disorders proved relevant in this town, high prescription being an indirect indicator. The elaboration and development of desmedicalization propositions along the patients at SUS are central towards a comprehensive health care approach.

Keywords : Medicalization; Psychopharmacology; Pharmacotherapy; Mental health.

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