Deadly drugs being prescribed to the elderly

Posted 16/07/2012

Statistics have been published today regarding the prescription of antipsychotic drugs to dementia patients.
Antipsychotic drugs, designed to treat conditions such as schizophrenia, can be prescribed for patients with dementia to help manage psychological and behavioural symptoms including aggression, shouting and sleep disturbance.

In 2009 a report found that four in five patients with dementia were being given anti-psychotic drugs inappropriately, often to keep them quiet.

The Department of Health warned last year that the drugs were leading to 1,800 needless deaths a year, by making other medical conditions worse.

The figures from the Health and Social Care Information Service showed that the proportion of dementia patients across England being given the drugs has more than halved since 2006, down from 17 to 6.8 %. However, there is great disparity in the regions, with 13% of dementia patients in the North West being given antipsychotic drugs, which are often used by care home staff to make residents easier to handle. In London however, only 2% of patients receive them. Charities have warned that these figures meant tens of thousands of lives were still being put at risk from the drugs.

The care services minister has commented that although this is “a huge change in the right direction”, this decrease must go further. To aid this, a risk assessment tool is being developed to help doctors use the drugs safely and appropriately.

Sophie Bales, medical injury solicitor at Ashtons Legal, comments: “Antipsychotic drugs should not be used as a shortcut to control dementia patients instead of other, more appropriate and humane methods. Dementia patients should be treated with patience, kindness and dignity, rather than silenced with potentially damaging drugs.

We have seen several cases where antipsychotic drugs have been prescribed inappropriately or incorrectly causing injury to the patients concerned, leading to deterioration in their condition and even accelerating death in some cases.

The overall decrease in the prescription of antipsychotic drugs for dementia patients is good news as it represents an increased understanding of dementia and how to treat it. However, the wide regional variations suggest that some areas are still prescribing inappropriately.

We still have a long way to go until all dementia patients are treated with the humanity and dignity that they deserve, but this overall national decrease in prescription is a positive and welcome step.”