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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Frontiers in Public Health

Psychotropic prescribing trends in a Peruvian General Hospital during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: an interrupted time-series analysis

  • José Salvador-Carrillo1,2
  • Ana Carolina Figueiredo-Modesto1
  • Luciane Cruz-Lopes1
  • Claudio Flores-Flores3
  • Joseph Pinto2,3
  • Jeff Huarcaya-Victoria2,4
4 affiliations
  1. 1Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences–University of Sorocaba
  2. 2Department of Human Medicine, Universidad Privada San Juan Bautista
  3. 3Unidad de Investigación Básica y Traslacional, Auna Ideas
  4. 4Psychiatry Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Nacional Guillermo Almenara Irigoyen
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Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate trends in psychotropic prescription rates (PRs) in a Peruvian general hospital during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Materials and methods: We conducted an interrupted time-series (ITS) study using routinely collected clinical data from hospitalized patients with psychiatric diagnoses between September 2020 and December 2024. Psychotropic PRs, defined as the number of weekly psychotropic prescriptions per 1,000 psychiatric consultations, were calculated overall and by subclass: antidepressants (N06A), antipsychotics (N05A), anxiolytics (N05B), and mood stabilizers (N05AN01/N03A). For ITS analysis, the study period was divided into six predefined phases (two waves, three relaxation phases, and one post-pandemic phase) based on COVID-19 mortality and transmission trends in Peru. Segmented regression models were applied to estimate phase-specific level and slope changes.

Results: A total of 6,151 patients were included. The overall psychotropic PR was higher during the post-pandemic period compared with the pandemic period (1,308 vs. 1,254; p = 0.023). ITS analyses showed a significant downward trend in overall psychotropic prescribing during phase 1 (post-first wave stabilization, β = −25.53; 95% CI = −43.82 to −7.01; p = 0.007), followed by a structural break in phase 2 (second pandemic wave) with an abrupt level increase (β = 295.53; 95% CI = 60.48 to 530.57; p = 0.014) and slope reversal (β = 23.79; 95% CI = 3.33 to 44.26; p = 0.016), after which prescribing stabilized. A similar temporal pattern was observed for antidepressant PR. Anxiolytic PR displayed a transient upward slope change in phase 2 (β = 14.15; 95% CI = 1.80 to 26.50; p = 0.01), whereas antipsychotic and mood stabilizer prescribing remained stable across phases.

Conclusions: Overall psychotropic prescribing showed phase-specific disruption followed by structural rebound and subsequent stabilization across the COVID-19 and post-pandemic periods. These findings provide real-world evidence and underscore the need to monitor psychiatric prescribing and mental health service adaptation in middle-income settings.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{salvadorcarrillo2026psychotropic,
  title = {{Psychotropic prescribing trends in a Peruvian General Hospital during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: an interrupted time-series analysis}},
  author = {José Salvador-Carrillo and Ana Carolina Figueiredo-Modesto and Luciane Cruz-Lopes and Claudio Flores-Flores and Joseph Pinto and Jeff Huarcaya-Victoria},
  journal = {Frontiers in Public Health},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2026.1892034},
  url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1892034/full},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Psychotropic prescribing trends in a Peruvian General Hospital during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: an interrupted time-series analysis
AU  - José Salvador-Carrillo
AU  - Ana Carolina Figueiredo-Modesto
AU  - Luciane Cruz-Lopes
AU  - Claudio Flores-Flores
AU  - Joseph Pinto
AU  - Jeff Huarcaya-Victoria
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/09
JO  - Frontiers in Public Health
DO  - 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1892034
UR  - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1892034/full
AB  - Purpose: To evaluate trends in psychotropic prescription rates (PRs) in a Peruvian general hospital during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.  Materials and methods: We conducted an interrupted time-series (ITS) study using routinely collected clinical data from hospitalized patients with psychiatric diagnoses between September 2020 and December 2024. Psychotropic PRs, defined as the number of weekly psychotropic prescriptions per 1,000 psychiatric consultations, were calculated overall and by subclass: antidepressants (N06A), antipsychotics (N05A), anxiolytics (N05B), and mood stabilizers (N05AN01/N03A). For ITS analysis, the study period was divided into six predefined phases (two waves, three relaxation phases, and one post-pandemic phase) based on COVID-19 mortality and transmission trends in Peru. Segmented regression models were applied to estimate phase-specific level and slope changes.  Results: A total of 6,151 patients were included. The overall psychotropic PR was higher during the post-pandemic period compared with the pandemic period (1,308 vs. 1,254; p = 0.023). ITS analyses showed a significant downward trend in overall psychotropic prescribing during phase 1 (post-first wave stabilization, β = −25.53; 95% CI = −43.82 to −7.01; p = 0.007), followed by a structural break in phase 2 (second pandemic wave) with an abrupt level increase (β = 295.53; 95% CI = 60.48 to 530.57; p = 0.014) and slope reversal (β = 23.79; 95% CI = 3.33 to 44.26; p = 0.016), after which prescribing stabilized. A similar temporal pattern was observed for antidepressant PR. Anxiolytic PR displayed a transient upward slope change in phase 2 (β = 14.15; 95% CI = 1.80 to 26.50; p = 0.01), whereas antipsychotic and mood stabilizer prescribing remained stable across phases.  Conclusions: Overall psychotropic prescribing showed phase-specific disruption followed by structural rebound and subsequent stabilization across the COVID-19 and post-pandemic periods. These findings provide real-world evidence and underscore the need to monitor psychiatric prescribing and mental health service adaptation in middle-income settings.
SN  - 2296-2565
ER  -