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A simple clinical audit of antipsychotic medication prescribing on Hollywell Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 May 2011

L Steve Choong ,
Tim Coupe  and
JayaPrabha Vijayan
L Steve Choong
Affiliation:
Consultant Psychiatrist, Hadley Unit, Newtown Hospital, Worcester, UK
Tim Coupe*
Affiliation:
Clinical Audit Facilitator, Newtown Hospital, Worcester, UK
JayaPrabha Vijayan
Affiliation:
Senior House Officer, Hillcrest, Redditch, Worcestershire, UK
*
Correspondence to: Mr Tim Coupe, 220 The Bungalow, Newtown Hospital, Newtown Road, Worcester, Worcestershire, UK WR 5 1DD. E-mail: tim.coupe@worcsmhp.nhs.uk
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Abstract

Aim and method: To review antipsychotic prescribing practice using selected recommendations from the 2006 Royal College of Psychiatrists’ (RCPsych) consensus statement on the use of high dose antipsychotic medication. A clinical audit of antipsychotic prescribing for patients from two periods, February to October 2005 and February to October 2006, who were discharged from Hollywell PICU at Hillcrest and had received one or more antipsychotic medications whilst an inpatient there.

Results: The proportion of patients receiving a single antipsychotic increased from 9 (31%) in 2005 to 22 (55%) in 2006 and the proportion prescribed high dosages of antipsychotics declined, 10 (33%) in 2005 vs. 3 (8%) in 2006. The number of high dose combination prescriptions also declined, 4 (13%) in 2005 vs. 1 (3%) in 2006.

Clinical implications: The audit illustrates the potential for individual variation in prescribing practice in the PICU environment. It suggests that the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ 2006 consensus statements on antipsychotic prescribing can be used to both benchmark clinical practice and promote evidence based prescribing.

Keywords

Psychiatric intensive careanti-psychoticpolypharmacyclinical audit
Type
Original Research Article
Information
Journal of Psychiatric Intensive Care , Volume 8 , Issue 1 , April 2012 , pp. 11 - 14
Copyright
Copyright © NAPICU 2011

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