Researchers have published the first scientific paper looking at how patients can safely come off antipsychotic medication while minimising the risk of withdrawal effects.
The paper, described as a ‘historic breakthrough’, suggests that extremely slow tapering with small reductions over months or even years could make it less likely for patients to relapse.
Antipsychotic drugs, such as clozapine, olanzapine, and aripiprazole, are one of the fastest growing classes of drugs being prescribed in England, increasing from 9.4 million prescriptions (for around 660,000 people) in 2015/2016 to 11 million prescriptions (for 750,000 people) in 2019/2020.
They are used to treat illnesses with psychotic features such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and are increasingly prescribed ‘off label’ for conditions such as insomnia and anxiety.
