The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 276 No 7384 p61
21 January 2006

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Elderly people still given inappropriate drugs

Most elderly people continue to be prescribed antipsychotic drugs inappropriately, according to the latest “Keep taking your medicines” report (PDF 130K) from Liberal Democrat Paul Burstow, who is a member of the House of Commons Health Committee.

The report, updating one published in 2003 (PJ, 15 November 2003, p668), reveals that little has changed over the past two years, and estimates that 26,051 elderly people in England are sedated without medical grounds. It adds that there has been a 14 per cent increase in prescribing of antipsychotics for the over 60s since 1999, with the number of atypical antipsychotics prescribed increasing four-fold.

The report suggests that confusion over what constitutes a medication review has hampered progress in this area. It draws attention to the Medicines Partnership evaluation of Room for Review (PJ, 10 December 2005, p712), which found that only 8 per cent of primary care trusts achieved the Government’s target of an annual medication review for all patients over 75 years by 2002.

Caroline Kelham, project manager at Medicines Partnership, told The Journal that, since these data were collated, the picture should have improved. The new community pharmacy contract allows pharmacists to conduct 250 medicines use reviews per year and includes clinical medication reviews as an enhanced service that can be commissioned by PCTs. Medication review has also been included in the general medical services contract.

“Rather than just looking at numbers of reviews carried out, the key for PCTs is to consider how the various types of medicines review can help them deliver their objectives and priorities, making sure that people with the greatest need and greatest potential to benefit have their medicines reviewed,” she said.

The report can be accessed via PJ Online (www.pjonline.com/links/pj).