Prescribing Profile of Psychotropic Medications at a Primary Healthcare Clinic in Gorontalo Province Indonesia

Abstract

Psychotropic medication prescribing in primary healthcare requires continuous monitoring to support rational drug use and patient safety, yet clinic level data on psychotropic medication utilization in Gorontalo Province remain limited. This study aimed to describe the utilization profile of selected psychotropic and related medications by age group and sex at a primary healthcare clinic in Gorontalo Province, Indonesia. A retrospective descriptive study was conducted using prescription records from July to September 2025. The medications analyzed were Alprazolam 1 mg, Olanzapine 10 mg, Hexymer 2 mg, Risperidone 2 mg, and Merlopam 2 mg. Data were grouped by medication type, month of prescription, age group, and sex, then presented as utilization frequencies. The results showed that total drug utilization increased from 1,621 prescription events in July to 2,331 in August and 3,130 in September, with 7,082 prescription events recorded during the three-month period. Male patients accounted for 3,961 events, while female patients accounted for 3,121 events. Hexymer 2 mg showed the highest overall utilization with 2,152 events, followed by Alprazolam 1 mg with 1,568 events, Merlopam 2 mg with 1,456 events, Risperidone 2 mg with 1,384 events, and Olanzapine 10 mg with 522 events. The highest utilization was observed among productive age groups, particularly 26–30 years and 31–36 years. These findings indicate that psychotropic and related medication utilization increased during the study period, with higher use among male patients and productive age groups, highlighting the importance of routine prescription monitoring to promote rational drug use and strengthen mental health services in primary care.