Lancet Report on Anti-Psychotic Drugs for Patients with
Alzheimers – The RCGP View
9th January 2009
Professor Steve Field, Chairman of the Royal
College of General Practitioners, said:
“This is important research which adds to the
evidence we already know about the dangers of prescribing
anti-psychotic drugs to patients with dementia.
“These drugs can be extremely dangerous and
should only be prescribed when absolutely necessary and only after
a thorough assessment of the individual patient. Even then,
patients should only be on the drugs for a very short time and have
their treatment frequently reviewed.
“Doctors can come under great pressure from
staff in nursing and rest homes to prescribe these drugs to
agitated patients but we know that GPs across the country are being
vigilant and doing everything they can to avoid prescribing these
drugs except as a last resort.”
For a word document version of
this press statement,
click here
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