An Audit on the Prescribing of Antipsychotics Among People With Recorded Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD) Within a Community Mental Health Service in Stroud, Gloucestershire

AIMS: (1)To quantify the prevalence and duration of the prescribing of antipsychotics among people with a record of EUPD, particularly those without a mental health comorbidity that licenses an antipsychotic prescription; (2)To determine whether gender, age, and mental health comorbidities affect the likelihood of being prescribed antipsychotics; (3)To determine whether off-license use of antipsychotics among those with EUPD have ever been reviewed, with the aim of having these prescriptions stopped or reduced. METHODS: Study design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Data sourced from Stroud Recovery's electronic patient record of 287 people. Cohort entry was defined as the date of referral to Stroud Recovery. End of follow-up was the date of audit (20/11/2022). Primary outcome measures: Prevalence and duration of antipsychotic prescription among people with a record of EUPD within the Stroud Recovery caseload. RESULTS: Of the 287 people registered with Stroud Recovery, 37 (13%) had a recorded diagnosis of EUPD. 30 (81%) were ever prescribed antipsychotics. Only 6 of these 30 people (20%) have a mental health comorbidity that licenses an antipsychotic prescription (3 with bipolar affective disorder; 2 with severe depression requiring antipsychotic augmentation; 1 with schizoaffective disorder). The rest belonged to a subgroup of 24 people (80%) with recorded EUPD who were prescribed antipsychotics but with no history of co-morbid illness that licenses their use. This subgroup was predominantly female (75%) and aged 20–29 years (46%). Quetiapine was used in this subgroup the most, followed by olanzapine and aripiprazole. 12 (50%) have had more than one antipsychotic prescribed. None were prescribed for less than 1 week (defined by NICE as short-term use). In fact, the mean duration of antipsychotic prescription in this subgroup was 36.79 months. Only 10 (42%) had these prescriptions reviewed with the aim of having them stopped or reduced. None were offered a routine physical review. CONCLUSION: According to NICE guidelines, antipsychotics are not recommended in the treatment of EUPD, not recommended in the treatment of medium to long-term impulsivity and other symptoms of EUPD, and antipsychotics should be reviewed for people with the aim of reducing and stopping unnecessary drug treatment. Contrary to NICE guidelines, in this community mental health service, antipsychotics are frequently prescribed for extended periods to people with recorded EUPD but with no history of a co-morbid illness that licenses their use. An urgent review of clinical practice is warranted, including the effectiveness of such prescribing and the need to monitor for adverse effects, including metabolic complications.