Antipsychotics in people with dementia: frequency of use and rationale for prescribing in a UK mental health service

Abstract

Aims and methodTo determine how often and why antipsychotic medicines are prescribed to people with dementia. A cross-sectional survey of all clinical records was conducted in one National Health Service mental health trust.ResultsOf 946 people with dementia in the trust, 186 (20%) were prescribed an antipsychotic. Prevalence increased with the severity of dementia. The most common indication for initiating treatment was agitation/distress (70%), followed by verbal aggression (45%), psychotic symptoms (44%) and physical aggression (33%). The mean number of indications per patient was 2.6. In 58% of cases, the antipsychotic had been prescribed for more than a year, and a third of patients had not been reviewed in the past 6 months.Clinical implicationsPeople with dementia who are prescribed antipsychotic drugs generally display a range of challenging behaviours, but most notably are distressed. Systems for ongoing clinical review need improvement.