The recently published audit of antipsychotic prescribing for dementia shows a 52% decrease in the rate of prescribing between 2008 and 2011.

Prescriptions for antipsychotics in people newly diagnosed (diagnosed each year with a prescription of an antipsychotic within 12 months of diagnosis) with dementia have also reduced from 14.25 per cent in 2006 to 4.46 per cent in 2011which indicates that diagnosis is taking place much earlier.

Download the audit findings:

• The National Dementia and Antipsychotic Prescribing Audit National Summary Report
• Appendix 1a – Data Items – Demographics Table
• Appendix 1b – Data Items – Prescription Table
• Appendix 2a – Diagnosis Codes
• Appendix 2b – Drug Codes
• Appendix 3 – Participation by SHA and PCT
• Appendix 4 – List of anonymised GP prevalence values (above 2.01 per cent)