Sammanfattning
BACKGROUND: It is generally agreed that prescribing of antipsychotic drugs to older patients should be reduced, but figures for the prescribing of these drugs to older patients living at home in Norway are not available. The study aimed to investigate developments in prescribing of antipsychotic drugs among older patients living at home from 2006 to 2018, and whether there were differences in prescribing rates between the age groups 65−74 years, 75−84 years and 85 years or older.
MATERIAL AND METHOD: Data were retrieved from the Norwegian Prescription Database. All persons aged 65 years or older who were dispensed at least one antipsychotic drug in 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018 were included, and gender-specific prevalence for the ten most widely used antipsychotic drugs was calculated.
RESULTS: The proportion of patients aged 65 or older who were prescribed antipsychotic drugs in the period decreased for both sexes. For the age group 65−74 years, an increase was found from 2014 to 2018. There was a clear decrease in the prescribing rate for prochlorperazine and levomepromazine, whereas prescriptions for quetiapine increased.
INTERPRETATION: Attention should be paid to the increase in prescribing of antipsychotic drugs for the youngest age group of older patients (65−74 years) in the last four years, along with the increase in prescribing of quetiapine for older patients.