A review of antipsychotic drugs prescribed for people with learning disabilities who live in Leicestershire.

Antipsychotic drugs are widely prescribed for people with learning disabilities to control challenging behaviour. Concern has been expressed that such prescribing is excessive, inappropriate and potentially harmful. A review of 198 patients with learning disabilities resulted in agreement to reduce or withdraw antipsychotic drug therapy in 123 cases. The antipsychotic drug therapy was totally withdrawn in 43 cases and the dose reduced for the remaining 80. Out of the 43 patients who underwent total drug withdrawal, 31 remained off such therapy and 12 required represcribing within a 12-month period. Out of the remaining 80 who underwent dose reduction, 40 suffered a deterioration in behaviour which resulted in some degree of dose increase, and 40, although maintained on a lower dose, neither achieved total withdrawal nor deteriorated to an extent that a dose increase was required.