150000 dementia sufferers 'being prescribed antipsychotic drugs unnecessarily'

 » By hilary | the 11-12-2009 at 11:55 | 58 views (25 unique) | 2 comments | Report post!

Only around 36,000 of the 180,000 people on the drugs in the UK derive any benefit from them, it said.

Overprescribing of the drugs is linked to an extra 1,800 deaths a year among elderly people.
Phil Hope, the care services minister, promised to crack down on the practice, including appointing a new national clinical director for dementia.

He also promised measures to ensure more use of psychological therapies rather than relying on drugs.

Anti-psychotic medicines are licensed to treat people with schizophrenia and are used off-licence for dementia patients in care homes and hospitals.

In his review, Sube Banerjee, professor of mental health and ageing at the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London, said the rate of use of anti-psychotic drugs could be cut to one third of its current level with appropriate action.

He said this could be done safely over three years.


Bookmark and Share

Share your opinion - write a comment
It is possible to comment on a post, eventhough you do not have a user. However, the name and e-mail address is mandatory.
Name: 
E-mail address: 
 
Comment:
Enter the safety code in the field bellow:

InsaneStar
InsaneStar
the 11-12-2009 at 16:21
It's scary how easily doctors dish out the pills these days.
chopstick
chopstick
the 11-12-2009 at 12:28
No wonder we're going through recession now.

Other exciting blogposts

Council housing officers
Council housing officers
This is was they are maent to be,but in the office where I live,they don't care.They do nothing about the drugs... Read more
Device 'targets' NI police station
Device 'targets' NI police station
Police have fired three baton rounds during rioting in Craigavon, County Armagh. Officers were attacked with heavy ... Read more
'Bullying' school teacher sacked
'Bullying' school teacher sacked
Unfortunately Teachers can be very domineering not only to the young children that they teach but also to other mem... Read more