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" There has been a sharp fall in the number of dementia patients being given antipsychotic drugs, new figures show. The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) revealed that just seven per cent of people with dementia were prescribed antipsychotics in 2011, down from 17 per cent in 2006. Its figures are based on just under 197,000 people with dementia in England. However, the National Dementia and Antipsychotic Prescribing Audit also highlights regional variation in prescribing trends, with some areas recording prescribing rates that were six times higher than in others. HSCIC chief executive Tim Straughan commented: &amp;#039;It is encouraging that prescribing of antipsychotic drugs is falling. &amp;#039;However, it is clear that the picture nationally is mixed and that everyone involved in the care of those with dementia needs to look carefully at how they compare with others in their practices.&amp;#039; Toby Williamson, head of development and later life at the Mental Health Foundation, welcomed the overall fall in prescriptions of antipsychotic drugs for people with dementia. &amp;#039;It shows that other interventions can be used to reduce distress and agitation among people with dementia,&amp;#039; he observed. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/news/a22679/figures-reveal-sharp-drop-in-antipsychotic-prescribing-for-dementia/>