Veterans with PTSD Often Prescribed Drugs Not Supported by Guidelines

By Join Together Staff | February 13, 2013 | 1 Comment | Filed in Mental Health, Military & Treatment

Veterans with post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) are often prescribed medications not supported by existing government guidelines, according to a new study. Most of these prescriptions are written by mental health care providers, according to UPI.

Researchers analyzed electronic pharmacy data from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) for 356,958 veterans with PTSD, who received medications from VHA prescribers. The researchers from the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Health Care System found among veterans with PTSD who had continuous VHA medication use, 65.7 percent were prescribed elective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSRI/SNRIs). Second-generation anti-psychotics were prescribed for 25.6 percent of the veterans, while benzodiazepines were prescribed for 37 percent.

The findings appear in the journal Psychiatric Services.