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Audit of anticholinergic treatment in a psychiatric patient population

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Justin H. G. Williams*
Affiliation:
Specialist Registrar, Department of Psychiatry, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School Dundee DD1 9SY
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Abstract

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Aims and method

An audit was performed to look at how carefully anticholinergic medication was prescribed and monitored in a population of psychiatric patients on depot medication.

Results

The mean duration of prescription was 47 months and 44% of patients' prescriptions went unaltered for over three years. Evidence was lacking for rational initial anticholinergic prescription.

Clinical implications

Anticholinergic treatment needs to be prescribed more rationally with regular monitoring of extra-pyramidal symptoms.

Type
Original papers
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © 1999 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

References

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World Health Organization (1990) Prophylactic use of anticholinergics in patients on long-term neuroleptic treatment. A consensus statement. British Journal of Psychiatry, 156, 412.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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