Anti-dementia drugs

Are people with an early diagnosis of dementia being prescribed anti-dementia drugs in line with NICE guidance?

• With your medicines management lead, review data on the prescribing of anti-dementia drugs, by general practice and secondary care provider in order to
  • highlight any outliers, and agree action to address this;
  • correlate prescribing data with information on general practice dementia registers.
• Introduce an audit of prescribing of anti-dementia drugs to establish that standards are in line with NICE guidance.
• Donepezil, galantamine, rivastigmine and memantine for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Technology Appraisal 217. (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, 2011)

Anti-psychotic prescribing

• With your medicines management lead, review data on the prescribing of antipsychotic drugs for people with dementia by secondary mental health services, acute and community hospitals, and in primary care in order to,
  •  highlight any outliers, and agree action to address this;
  • correlate prescribing data with information on general practice dementia registers.
• Introduce an audit of prescribing of antipsychotic drugs to establish that standards are in line with NICE guidance.
• Ensure staff working with people with dementia are trained in the use of alternatives to prescribing antipsychotic medication.
• Optimising treatment and care for people with behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia: A best practice guide for health and social care professionals. (Alzheimer’s Society, 2011)
• Call 2 Action for the reduction of prescribing of antipsychotics for people with dementia (Dementia Action Alliance and NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, 2011)