Detailed contribution information
| Contribution title | 3153 - Antipsychotics in children and adolescents in the Netherlands: a retrospective audit. |
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| Contribution code | PS03-68 (P) |
| Authors | |
| Form of presentation | Poster |
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| Abstract |
Objectives: Over the past decades, there has been an increase in off-label prescription of second generation antipsychotics in children and adolescents in the Netherlands. Disruptive and challenging behaviour problems form by far the most frequent reason for off-label prescriptions. However, antipsychotics for behavioral problems do not have a well-established evidence base and are not without health hazards. It is unclear to what extent clinicians adhere to the existing guidelines concerning the use of antipsychotics, for example guidelines for the treatment of autism spectrum disorders and disruptive behavioural disorders. Our objectives are to examine the current prescription practice of antipsychotics in the Netherlands, to determine how well existing guidelines are being adhered to, to identify caveats in the current care, and to develop recommendations for improvements. Methods: Currently ongoing retrospective audit of at least 500 medical files of children and adolescents up to the age of 18 years of any sex and ethnicity who had been prescribed an antipsychotic agent at least once in 2012. We are using a checklist based on current national and international guidelines for the treatment of children and adolescents with antipsychotics. This checklist covers, for example, treatment history, first prescription, medication monitoring, and length of use. Results and conclusion: Data collection is ongoing and will be completed in spring 2017, preliminary results will be presented. These results will be used to identify limitations in the current practice concerning use of antipsychotics in children and adolescents and to give recommendations on how this can be improved in the future. |