Newly Initiated In-Hospital Antipsychotics Continued at Discharge in Non-psychiatric Patients

Objectives: Antipsychotics are commonly initiated in the hospital for agitation and delirium and may be inappropriately continued upon floor transfer and at discharge. We sought to evaluate the magnitude of this issue within our health care system. Methods: We conducted a multicenter, retrospective cohort study within a 22-hospital health care system to evaluate the proportion of patients without identifiable psychiatric illness who received newly initiated inpatient antipsychotics and were then continued on an antipsychotic at hospital discharge. Results: Of 23 049 patients who received at least 1 in-hospital dose of haloperidol, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, or ziprasidone, 8297 patients were included in the final analysis after applying exclusion for identifiable psychiatric illness or previous antipsychotic use. Ultimately, 334 patients (4%) were discharged with a new antipsychotic prescription. Patients receiving antipsychotics at discharge were more likely as an inpatient to receive quetiapine (77.2% vs 35.9%; odds ratio [OR]: 6.1, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.7-8.0; P < .001) and less likely to receive haloperidol (15% vs 47%; OR: 0.2, 95% CI: 0.14-0.27; P < .001) or olanzapine (16.2% vs 20.9%; OR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.53-0.98; P < .04). Conclusions: Antipsychotics may be inappropriately continued in non-psychiatric patients at hospital discharge. Strategies to limit potentially unnecessary antipsychotics upon discharge should be evaluated.