[Antipsychotic prescription amongst the elderly]

The treatment of certain psychotic, behavioural and delusional symptoms in the elderly frequently involves the prescription of antipsychotics. Prescribing such drugs to elderly patients has recently been called into question, leaving physicians with little or nothing to treat a range of symptoms that are often complex and difficult to treat.

The study aimed to evaluate the prescription of antipsychotics amongst elderly and to compare it with data in the literature.

This retrospective cohort study included patients aged 65 and older admitted to the psychiatric ward of Mahdia University Hospital over the period from 2014 to 2018 who received antipsychotic treatment during their hospitalization.

The sample consisted of 44 elderly patients, with 31.8% patients using atypical agents, 34.1% using typical agents, 27.3% received both of them and 6.8% received a long-acting injectable antipsychotic. A majority of the elderly study sample were men (75 %). The mean (SD) age of the study sample was 69.8 years. 61.3% had at least somatic comorbidity. The most common diagnosis was schizophrenia with 31.8%, followed by dementia (27.3%). 34.1% reported adverse effects due to antipsychotic treatment.

The study findings suggest that there is a need to be cautious when prescribing antipsychotic in the elderly population. Patient education and regular follow-up of patients can be instrumental in minimizing the adverse outcomes associated with the use of antipsychotics in the the aging population.