Clinical Audit on the Measurement of Antipsychotic Side Effects Using Rating Scales (GASS, LUNSERS, and SESCAM) in Community Settings

AIMS: This clinical audit aimed to assess if monitoring of side effect of antipsychotics is adhered to using the Trust and National institute of clinical excellence (NICE) guidelines.One of the determinants of prognosis in schizophrenia is compliance to medications. Hence, the importance to monitor patient's tolerability of side effects when they are on antipsychotic medications. Several patients during episodes of relapse have reported that experience of side effects were their main reasons for defaulting on their medications. This underpins the importance to monitor patients’ tolerability of side effects when prescribed antipsychotics. Recommended monitoring scales are Glasgow antipsychotic scale, Liverpool University neuroleptic side effect rating scale, and Side effects scale for antipsychotic medication. METHODS: The 1st cycle of the audit was conducted from March 30th to April 30th, 2021, and the 2nd cycle was done between 4th October and 28th October 2022. In both cycles random sampling was used to select 50 patients on the caseloads of two community mental health teams. The data were collected with a tool designed using NICE guidelines and the Trust policy on monitoring of psychotropic medications. RESULTS: For all selected patients in the 1st cycle, no rating scales were used to assess side effects at three months or after one year of commencement of antipsychotics. However, there were random documentation of side effects written as case notes in 96% of patients. Extrapyramidal side effects (EPSE) were the most documented of side effects in the 1st cycle. The re-audit saw an improvement of 24% in the use of an objective rating scale to monitor side effects. Similarly, as in the 1st cycle, EPSE were the most reported side effects in the 2nd cycle. CONCLUSION: This audit showed a significant gap in the objective monitoring of side effects of patients on antipsychotics as none of the recommended rating scales were used on the selected patients in the 1st cycle. Although, there was an improvement in the use of rating scales of up to 24% in the re-audit as compared to 0% in the 1st cycle, the uptake was still far from the ideal. There is a need for the Trust and NICE guidelines to be adhered to in the monitoring of side effects of antipsychotics as this is likely to have a positive impact on compliance to medications by patients.