title: Pharmacological treatment of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia in psychogeriatric inpatient units.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study involved an examination of the current patterns of pharmacological treatment of patients with behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in psychogeriatric inpatient units.
  
  
  METHODS
  An audit was conducted of discharge medications of patients with BPSD who were hospitalized at three separate inpatient units in Perth, Western Australia over a 1-year period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prescribing patterns were found to be relatively similar across the three units. Dementia-specific drugs such as choline-esterase inhibitors and memantine comprised a minority of prescribed medication. Antipsychotics, benzodiazepines and sodium valproate were the most commonly prescribed drugs. Cyproterone acetate was used in a small number of patients at each of the three units.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The broad range of medications used to treat BPSD, the relatively modest place of dementia-specific drugs in this patient group, and the co-prescribing of more than one psychotropic agent in the majority of patients support the prevailing impressions that BPSD are difficult to treat and that there is no consistently effective or superior medication or drug group.
authors.affiliation: North Metropolitan Area Older Adult Mental Health Service, Perth, WA, Australia. sam.restifo@health.wa.gov.au
authors.forename: Sam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Restifo
authors.forename: Vivienne
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lemon
authors.forename: Flavie
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Waters
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003534:Cyproterone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005852:Geriatric Psychiatry; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007258:Informed Consent; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014904:Western Australia
chemical_list: D000726:Androgen Antagonists; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D014635:Valproic Acid; D003534:Cyproterone