title: Pharmacotherapy for personality disorder-prescribing practice at a high secure hospital: a preliminary report.
abstract: The aim of this study was to examine the prescription of psychotropic medication for patients with a primary diagnosis of personality disorder (PD) detained at Rampton High Secure Hospital, compared with that for patients with a primary diagnosis of mental illness. The name and the dose of psychotropic medication prescribed for each patient in the sample, on 2 July 2010, were examined. Although nearly all patients with a primary diagnosis of mental illness were prescribed psychotropic medication (98%), the percentage within the Personality Disorder (73%) and the Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder services (62%) was also high, with the most commonly prescribed drug being an antipsychotic in all groups. The dose of antipsychotic and mood-stabilizing medication was lower for patients with a primary diagnosis of PD, and clozapine was the antipsychotic of choice for a significant proportion of these patients. Medication may have a key role to play in the management of some groups of patients with PD.
authors.affiliation: Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust, Rampton Hospital, Retford, Notts, UK.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: D'Silva
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chadwick
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Egleston
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Milton
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferriter
authors.forename: Tarek
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abdelrazek
mesh_terms: D004739:England; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs