Problems managed and medications prescribed during encounters with people with autism spectrum disorder in Australian general practice

While elevated prescription rates of psychotropic medications have been reported in the United Kingdom and the United States, there is a paucity of research investigating clinical and prescribing practices in Australia. This study describes the problems managed and medications prescribed by general practitioners in Australia during encounters where an autism spectrum disorder was recorded.

Information was collected from 2000 to 2014 as part of the Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health programme. Encounters where patients were aged less than 25 years and autism spectrum disorder was recorded as one of the reasons for encounter and/or problems managed ( n = 579) were compared to all other Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health programme encounters with patients aged less than 25 years ( n = 281,473).