Trends in lithium prescription in Spain from 1985 to 2003

Lithium use for bipolar disorder has decreased in the United States. We aimed at studying lithium prescription in Spain from 1985 to 2003. Prescription data, expressed in daily defined dose per 1000 inhabitants per day, were obtained. Lithium prescription increased uninterruptedly from 0.21 to 0.79 DID. The psychiatric reform in Spain and a broader definition of BD during the last decades are possible explanations for this rise.