The DEBIT trial: an intervention to reduce antipsychotic polypharmacy prescribing in adult psychiatry wards - a cluster randomized controlled trial

Thompson, A., Sullivan, S. A., Barley, M., Strange, S. O., Moore, Laurence Anthony Russell, Rogers, P., Sipos, A. and Harrison, G. 2008. The DEBIT trial: an intervention to reduce antipsychotic polypharmacy prescribing in adult psychiatry wards - a cluster randomized controlled trial. Psychological Medicine 38 (5) , pp. 705-715. 10.1017/S003329170700147X

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Abstract

Background. Clinical guidelines advise against prescribing more than one antipsychotic with limited exceptions. Despite this, surveys continue to report high antipsychotic polypharmacy rates. The aim of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of a multi-faceted intervention in reducing prescribing of antipsychotic polypharmacy on general adult psychiatry wards, compared with guidelines alone. Method. A pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial recruited 19 adult psychiatric units (clusters) from the South West of England. Participants were all ward doctors and nurses. The multi-faceted intervention comprised: an educational/CBT workbook; an educational visit to consultants ; and a reminder system on medication charts. Results. The odds of being prescribed antipsychotic polypharmacy in those patients prescribed antipsychotic medication was significantly lower in the intervention than control group when adjusted for confounders (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.21–0.90, p=0.028). There was considerable between-unit variation in polypharmacy rates and in the change in rates between baseline and follow-up (5 months after baseline). Conclusion. The intervention reduced levels of polypharmacy prescribing compared to guidelines alone although the effect size was relatively modest. Further work is needed to elicit the factors that were active in changing prescribing behaviour.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	antipsychotics; evidence-based guidelines; polypharmacy; randomized controlled trial
Additional Information:	Pdf uploaded in accordance with publisher's policy at http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/issn/0033-2917/ (accessed 25/02/2014).
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
ISSN:	0033-2917
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 March 2016
Last Modified:	23 May 2023 16:10
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/19271

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