Reducing antipsychotic prescriptions and improving follow up of people with dementia in primary care: barriers, perceptions and a way forward

Background/Objectives: One in 14 people over 65 years suffers from dementia in the UK. Over 25% receive antipsychotics which cause increases in mortality and cerebrovascular events. The need for a reduction and the use of alternative supportive strategies has been recommended. Risperidone at 6-week intervals is the only antipsychotic indicated for treatment with regular review. The majority of management occurs at primary care level. We aimed to investigate antipsychotic prescribing practices and patient review. Methods: Two surveys comprising questions addressing prescribing practices were developed and distrib…