Treatment lottery for people with dementia as over-prescribing of dangerous antipsychotics continues

Twenty percent of people who receive anti-dementia drugs are also prescribed dangerous antipsychotic drugs, according to new research revealed in GP Newspaper.

The data by IMS Health found that

• Prescription of anti cholinesterase inhibitors, such as Aricept, Reminyl and Exelon, varied by almost 70 per cent regionally.
• Overall prescribing of anti cholinesterase inhibitors was well below other European countries such as Spain, Sweden and Germany.
• Prescribing of antipsychotics also varied across England, with 21 per cent of dementia patients in the North West receiving the drugs, compared with 14 per cent of those in the South West.
• One in five (20%) 20 per cent of all prescriptions for dementia in the UK are for antipsychotic drugs.

Neil Hunt, Chief Executive of Alzhiemer's Society said,

'Antipsychotics can double risk of death, triple risk of stroke and accelerate symptoms in people with dementia. It is absolutely disgraceful that so many people across the UK are inappropriately prescribed these drugs.

Anti-psychotics should only be used to treat severe symptoms in exceptional circumstances and only for short periods. Specialist dementia training vastly increases quality of life and could save the UK £35 million a year if it was mandatory. The government must address this serious issue and publish its long awaited review.'

The Department of Health review into the use of antipsychotic drugs in people with dementia is due out this summer; it was originally due to be published alongside the National Dementia Strategy for England in October 2008.

Notes to editors

About the research

• The research was first published in Issues bulletin: the use of medicines in dementia care by IMS Health.
• The data refers to prescription dispensed in a community pharmacy in 2008.
• Antipsychotic data refers to the percentage of patients receiving a treatment for Alzheimer's who also received an antipsychotic on the same prescription.
• The data does not account for people who get their prescriptions from a different source, such as a mental health trust, or people who have separate prescriptions for anti-dementia drugs and antipsychotics.
• Anti-dementia drugs have been restricted on the NHS since May 2006, following a decision by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) that only people in the moderate stages of the disease should have access to the drugs.
  

About Alzheimer's Society

• 1 in 3 people over the age of 65 will die with dementia.
• 700,000 people have a form of dementia in the UK, more than half have Alzheimer's disease. This will soar to 1.7 million people by 2051.
• Dementia is not a natural part of ageing; it is caused by diseases of the brain and robs people of their lives.
• Alzheimer's Society champions the rights of people living with dementia and those who care for them. Alzheimer's Society works in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• Alzheimer's Society needs to raise money to care for people today and to find a cure for tomorrow. You can donate now by calling 0845 306 0898 or visiting alzheimers.org.uk/give
• Alzheimer's Society provides a National Dementia Helpline, the number is 0845 300 0336

For futher information please contact the press office on 0207 423 3595 or email press@alzheimers.org.uk