Psychotropic drugs

Experimental menopause drug cuts number of hot flushes

An experimental drug has been shown to dramatically cut the number of hot flushes in women with severe menopause symptoms.…

Healthcare professionals can report adverse effects of legal highs through new website

UK regulators have launched a pilot of a Yellow Card-type scheme for reporting adverse effects associated with legal highs and other illicit drugs.…

Industry-funded trials show bias for pharmacotherapy over psychotherapy

Analysis of 45 studies leads researchers to conclude that journals should require authors to declare any industry ties.…

Ex-prisoners less likely to reoffend if given psychotropic drugs, suggests research

Researchers have suggested that ex-prisoners could be given psychotropic drugs when they are released from prison after a study showed that they substantially reduce their risk of violent reoffending.…

Intercollegiate report recommends how to improve the physical health of patients with severe mental illness

‘Improving the physical health of adults with severe mental illness: essential actions’ makes practical recommendations for changes to help adults with severe mental illness receive the same standard of physical healthcare as the general population.…

Antidepressants associated with increased risk of suicidal thoughts in healthy adults

Healthy adults who are taking certain antidepressants have a higher risk of suicidal thoughts and violent behaviour, according to the results of a systematic review.…

Antipsychotic adherence falls when patient financial incentives are withdrawn

Offering payments to patients to receive injectable antipsychotics is only effective while the incentives are provided, study finds.…

Reducing antipsychotic prescribing in people with learning disabilities

Pharmacists and healthcare professionals are ideally placed to review and reduce inappropriate prescribing of psychotropic medicines in people with learning disabilities safely and effectively.…

Antipsychotics associated with increased risk of pneumonia

The use of antipsychotic drugs in patients with Alzheimer’s disease doubles their risk of pneumonia, while pneumonia risk in patients without AD who take antipsychotics is more than three-fold, according to research from Finland.…

RPS joins forces with professional bodies to tackle ‘chemical restraint’ prescribing

The RPS has joined forces with other professional bodies to tackle the over-prescribing of psychotopic drugs to adults with learning disabilities.…