General practitioners and clinical pharmacology

Abstract

SummaryIt is difficult to undertake field studies with non marketed psychotropic drugs because of two apparently contradictory conditions : on the one hand, the methodology has to be rigorously controlled, and on the other hand, such studies have to be carried out in their future environment by general practitioners (GPs). Bearing in mind the lack of training and experience regarding this kind of approach, the author adopted a discussion group method according to the techniques developed by M. Balint. The study group comprised five GPs, a clinical pharmacology expert and a doctor from the pharmaceutical laboratory which had developed the test drug. These persons met on a monthly basis over a one year period. In the present paper, the author indicates the benefits of such a methodology, based on six years’ experience and several trials, with special emphasis placed on the pedagogical aspects.

Compared Efficacy of Prazepam and Clomipramine in Major Depression with Anxiety: a Multicenter Controlled Study

“…Investigators were two groups of General Practitioners (GP) from the regions of Caen and Lyon (France); each group was coordinated by a psychiatrist trained in c1inical psychopharmacology. Each group had to meet monthly both prior to and during the study for protocol training, common ratings and cases discussions according to our previously described methodology (21).…”