A waste of doctors’ time

Niamh Drohan’s study (Apr 3) of GP prescribing of antidepressants was unethical.

Wasting GP time while patients wait to be seen is inexcusable. A similar waste of garda or firefighter time might result in prosecution. Doctors assume that the person seeking medical help is genuine.

Antidepressants are not drugs of abuse, and there would be no reason to suspect anybody of collecting prescriptions at multiple GPs.

It is a judgement call whether to prescribe antidepressants, and if Ms Drohan was determined to entrap GPs so as to prove a point, she probably gave them symptomatic cause to make such decisions. I can only hope that there were no sick children waiting to see the GP who wasted his time on Ms Drohan.

Dr Daniel Herlihy

Consultant Psychiatrist

Department of Psychiatry

Waterford Regional Hospital