In spite of the absence of validation by treatment guidelines, the practice of polypharmacy in psychiatry continues to increase. This cross-sectional study tries to describe polypharmacy rates in a psychiatric ward of a general hospital.

Participants (51 patients) were selected from inpatients in the General University Psychiatric Hospital “Papageorgiou”. The study was conducted from July to September 2011. Patients had to be hospitalized for at least 3 weeks in order to be included. The statistical program SPSS was used in the analysis.

Our sample consists of 51 patients, of average age 45.4 years (SD=16,3), males 39,2%, with average starting age of disease 35.8 years (SD=16,1), 78,4% voluntary hospitalized, with the diagnosis of schizophrenic disorder in 41.2%, bipolar disorder in 19.6% and depression in 39.2%. 29.4% of patients were working before being hospitalized and 7.8% had history of substance use. Their treatment included more than one antipsychotic in 2% of patients, more than one antidepressant in 4% and a benzodiazepine in 33.3%. At the moment of discharge from hospital, the rates of polypharmacy showed no statistically significant difference compared to the ones at admission. The only exception concerned the use of the long-acting formulations which rose to 7.8%.

Most patients hospitalized in the psychiatric department of the University General Hospital was suffering from mood disorders and had short admission time. These factors led to a decreased need of using multiple kinds of medications. A larger sample of patients is necessary to confirm the presented points.