Audit of antipsychotic prescribing in a private psychiatric hospital

Abstract

Antipsychotic medications were widely used in a private psychiatric inpatient setting for the treatment of non-psychotic disorders. This finding parallels those from other Australian studies of psychotropic prescribing patterns. The issues of clinical utility, cost-effectiveness and benefits of funding of these medications for such wider indications require further study and evaluation.

Quetiapine Dosage Across Diagnostic Categories

“…In accordance with previous naturalistic studies [5], it seems that quetiapine is given commonly in off-label as well as in labeled indication for the treatment of a large range of psychiatric disorders. The main finding of this study is that the use of quetiapine discharge doses (\800 vs. C800 mg/day) is clearly influenced by diagnostic categories whereas benzodiazepine discharge dosage, co-morbid substance abuse or dependence did not contribute significantly to the final model.…”

“…Quetiapine has been tried across multiple diagnosis categories and seems to be used, among other atypical antipsychotics, in clinical practice for an expanding range of disorders [5].…”

Prevalence of multiple antipsychotic use and associated adverse effects in Australians with mental illness

“…[21][22][23] Some of the studies are now 10 or more years old and the higher rate comes from one study of only 59 patients. 23 There have also been studies of the extent of prescription of dual antipsychotics at discharge.…”

Suicide and deliberate self-harm in personality disorders

“…Studies published over the last decade indicate that new atypical antipsychotic medication may be effectively used in the treatment of BPD [4, 43,44]. A review of 14 original reports on this topic led to the conclusion that a subgroup of patients with a diagnosis of BPD showing transient psychotic symptoms, impulsivity, suicidality and self-mutilation may benefit from atypical antipsychotics, especially olanzapine, clozapine, quietiapine and risperidone [45 ].…”