| ATC group |
General practitioners |
Non-psychiatrist specialists |
Psychiatrists |
Total
(number) (b) |
Total
(%) |
| Antipsychotics including clozapine |
1,816,160 |
217,970 |
475,305 |
2,511,874 |
11.7 |
| Anxiolytics |
2,999,903 |
89,194 |
139,349 |
3,231,447 |
15.1 |
| Hypnotics and sedatives |
2,477,622 |
85,396 |
51,123 |
2,616,188 |
12.2 |
| Antidepressants |
10,908,706 |
421,886 |
963,001 |
12,305,222 |
57.4 |
| Psychostimulants and nootropics |
71,114 |
317,947 |
88,018 |
477,218 |
2.2 |
| Other ATC groups (c) |
. . |
. . |
295,230 |
295,230 |
1.4 |
| Total |
18,273,505 |
1,132,393 |
2,012,026 |
21,437,179 |
100.0 |
| Proportion of total (per cent) |
85.2 |
5.3 |
9.4 |
100.0 |
. . |
- Classified according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) Classification System (WHO 2009). Does not include public hospital prescriptions dispensed through Section 100 arrangements, in particular for clozapine.
- Includes prescriptions where the prescriber's specialty was unknown.
- Note that data for other ATC groups prescribed by general practitioners and non-psychiatrist specialists are not presented because they are not regarded as mental health-related medications.
Sources
AIHW 2010. Mental health services in Australia 2007–08. AIHW forthcoming. Canberra.
World Health Organization (WHO) 2009. The anatomical, therapeutic, chemical classification system with defined daily doses (ATC/DDD). Viewed 11 January 2010 , <www.whocc.no/atcddd/>.