This cohort study conducted by the Intensive Medicines Monitoring Programme (IMMP) in New Zealand, set out to determine more accurately the rates of nocturnal enuresis in patients on clozapine and other atypical antipsychotics (olanzapine, quetiapine and risperidone). Prescription data for clozapine, olanzapine, risperidone and quetiapine were returned from pharmacies throughout New Zealand directly to the [read the full story…]
People with schizophrenia are sometimes prescribed multiple antipsychotic drugs, even though clinical guidelines rarely recommend this course of action. This cross-sectional observational study from Denmark explored the reasons behind this prescribing practice in two treatment centres; one that had high rates of antipsychotic polypharmacy and the other that had low rates. The researchers sent a [read the full story…]
The Dementia Action Alliance has launched a call to action on the use of antipsychotic drugs for people with dementia: All people with dementia who are receiving antipsychotic drugs should receive a clinical review from their doctor to ensure that their care is compliant with current best practice and guidelines and that alternatives to medication have been [read the full story…]
New generation anti-psychotic medications are being used to treat aggressive behaviours in people with learning disabilities, whether or not individuals have a formal diagnosis of a mental health problem. This study set out to evaluate the effectiveness of two such new generation anti-psychotic medications, olanzapine and risperidone. The study looked at how effective these [read the full story…]
The prevalence of psychiatric disorders in people with learning disabilities is very difficult to ascertain with studies varying in their definitions and inclusion criteria. Estimates suggest that it may be as low as 3%, but despite this, antipsychotic medications comprise between 30–50% of all psychotropics prescribed for people with learning disabilities. This literature review set [read the full story…]
