Healthy Skepticism Library item: 8873

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Thompson AWS.
Prescribing of hypnotics and tranquilizers in New Zealand
Pharm J N Z 1973 Apr; 35:15-18

Abstract:

The prescribing of hypnotics and tranquilizers in New Zealand is discussed in terms of promotion and percentages of the population taking a hypnotic on an average night. It was discovered that married women (or separated, widowed, or divorced) were getting almost exactly twice as many prescriptions of any kind as were adult males. They also were getting twice as many sleep prescriptions. In addition, despite their consumption of tranquilizers, married women doubled their use of hypnotics, and the contrast between them and unmarried women was pronounced. The power of promotion of hypnotics is discussed. The first decade of the tranquilizer boom has been accompanied by a doubling in the per capita use of hypnotics.