Dementia antispychotic drugs 'silent scandal'

2nd November 2011 - The care services minister is promising tough action to stop the use of antipsychotic medicines to subdue people with dementia.

Paul Burstow told the National Dementia Congress these treatments "are not licensed for treating dementia" .He added: "They can worsen the very signs and symptoms that are the trigger for the prescribing in the first place."

The minister says: "These drugs kill people. They increase the risk of strokes and other life threatening conditions."

The cost of treating dementia is estimated to be £23 billion per year, more than cancer and heart disease combined.

Targets missed

The Department of Health says 1,800 people die prematurely as a result of being prescribed these antipsychotic drugs.

Last November the government set a target to reduce antipsychotic prescriptions to people with dementia by two thirds in a year.

The minister admits that early indications suggest this target has not been met.

Chemical cosh

"Call it the chemical cosh, call it chemical restraint, call it what you will," Paul Burstow said in his speech: "It is a prison sentence, locking a person in their own body."

As well as being a risky treatment, to forcibly sedate people to make them easier to manage also robs them of their dignity," he says. "It is a silent scandal that I won't tolerate. In no other area of health and care would it be acceptable to put so many lives at risk for so little benefit."

He's promised to take whatever steps are necessary to make sure far fewer anti-psychotics are prescribed in the first place.

Dementia charity reaction

In a statement reacting to the minister's speech, Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Society says: "It is an absolute travesty that nearly 150,000 people with dementia are still being inappropriately prescribed dangerous antipsychotic drugs.

"This abuse must end. The government has had two years to find a way to significantly reduce these prescription levels. Something more needs to be done. We need to see a mandatory review of antipsychotic prescriptions after 12 weeks put in place. We call on all doctors and care providers to work with us to end this chemical cosh."

GPs reaction

Reports of a threat of legal action against GPs over antipsychotic prescriptions have not gone down well with the Royal College of General Practitioners.

In an emailed statement, its chair Dr Clare Gerada says: "The minister’s comments are surprising, and suggest a draconian measure that the College fears would cause more problems that it would solve.

"However, the College is committed to improving the care GPs provide to patients with dementia, and supports a reduction in the use of antipsychotic drugs - where appropriate -  to ensure that those patients who are living with dementia are able to live as full a life as possible."