Do GP's Overprescribe?
I have friends and family members who've received SSRI prescriptions from their primary care physicians based on a twenty-second "diagnosis" -- which consisted of the doctor simply asking the patient if they felt sad. Unfortunately, I've heard this story too many times from too many people to believe that it's an isolated incident.
I support the idea of primary care physicians getting involved in their patients' mental health care, but am I alone in noticing that many of them seem desperately underqualified to do so? Does anyone else recognize the tendency for GPs to prescribe when they should refer? I have a relative that works in a Family Care office, and her impression is that the situation is widespread, and that it exists becase doctors simply don't have the time to diagnose correctly, and that they're heavily influenced by drug reps. Thoughts?
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