Læknablaðið : fylgirit - 01.03.1983, Side 109

4. Differences between the sexes are rather small as regards
the antibiotic ampicillin and the sedative chlordiazeepoxide.
5. A considerable part of the difference between the sexes in
the total number of prescriptions is seen in one type of
sedative, i.e. diazepam in 5 mg tablets.
6. Diazepam in 2 mg tablets shows a prescription pattern
similar to that of chlordiazeperoxide 5 mg and 10 mg.
7. As discussed below, prescriptions for diazepam more than
others call for general comments. Among other things this
is because the number of prescriptions is so high, that
this drug provides the best grounds for general comparison.
II. Comparison between marital status groups
1. Unmarried women and unmarried men
There are very distinct peaks in diazepam prescriptions.
For umarried women this is particularly so for diazepam 5 mg,
where the peak is very broad from age 30 to 59. For unmarried
men the situation is different, where the diazepam 5 mg
curve is very irregular and ends in a maximum for the 70-plus
age group.
There is on the other hand a very distinct peak in
prescriptions of diazepam 10 mg for the age group 40-49
years, while the peak for women as regards this drug is
in the 50 - 59 year age group, and much lower.
2. Married men and married women
Again the curves for diazepam 5 mg and 10 mg are the most
interesting. There is a broad peak in prescriptions of
diazepam 5 mg to married women for the age group 40 - 69
ycars, but clearly the highest number of prescriptions is
for tne age group 60 -69 years. For married men there is
an evenly rising trend, levelling off in the age groups
older than 50 years.
3. Widows and widowers
The graph for this group begins to show signs of possible
individual abuse. It should in particular be noted that it
is a large number of prescriptions to widowers aged 30-39
years for diazepam 5 mg, and the same is the case for the
use of diazepam 10 mg by widowers aged 50 - 59 years.
Widows show a more regular pattern, and again the consumption
of diazepam 5 mg is the most noticable. There is a peak
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