Aims – To identify behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) that result in pharmacological interventions in a Geriatrician-led specialised behaviour unit.
Methods – A retrospective, single-centre, observational study was conducted through chart review to collect data regarding patient’s behaviour, changes made to psychotropic medications and effect of these changes.
Results – Agitation/aggression and aberrant motor behaviour were the commonest behavioural symptoms leading to prescription change. The most frequent prescribed medications were antipsychotics. There was statistically significant improvement in Pittsburgh Agitation Scale in the newly prescribed psychotropics/dose increment group (p-value = .002). Use of psychotropic medications was shown to be more effective in managing behaviours like agitation/aggression and delusion. There was no worsening in behaviour scores with deprescribing psychotropics. Patients in the pharmacological intervention group had longer length of stay (34.5 vs 13 days) and 37.5% patients in this group experienced at least one adverse event.
Conclusions – Use of psychotropic medications was shown to be effective in managing BPSD. However, this practice was also associated with adverse events. Therefore, prescribers should exercise caution when prescribing psychotropic medications.