Open AccessMonitoring of Adverse Drug Reaction-Related Parameters in Children, Youth, and Young Adults Prescribed Antipsychotic Drugs by General Practitioners
Author(s) -
Lenneke Minjon,
Els van den Ban,
M Bazelier,
Arief Lalmohamed,
Toine C.G. Egberts,
Eibert R. Heerdink
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
journal of child and adolescent psychopharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.935
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1557-8992
pISSN - 1044-5463
DOI - 10.1089/cap.2021.0026
Subject(s) - medicine , medical prescription , blood pressure , waist , young adult , body mass index , pediatrics , adverse effect , antipsychotic , psychiatry , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , pharmacology
Objective: The aim of the study was to assess monitoring of adverse drug reaction (ADR)-related parameters in children, youth, and young adults treated with second-generation antipsychotic drugs (SGAs) prescribed by general practitioners (GPs). Methods: This retrospective follow-up study included children, youth, and young adults aged 0 - 24 years, who had an initial prescription of an SGA recorded in the Clinical Practice Research Datalink between 2000 and 2017, and who were prescribed an SGA more than once for a duration of at least 6 months. It included an assessment of which ADR-related physical parameters (weight, height, body-mass index, waist circumference, pulse, blood pressure, and heart examination) and laboratory parameters (glucose, HbA1c, lipids, and prolactin) were monitored in children, youth, and young adults at least once every 6-month period, stratified by sex, age categories, and calendar years. Results: In total, 7006 patients were included and the mean duration of follow-up was 1.6 years. Monitoring frequencies of all parameters were below 25%. Blood pressure and weight were monitored in 23.6% and 23.4%, respectively, of all children, youth, and young adults during the first half year; waist circumference was monitored in 0.2%. Females were monitored more often than males, some differences between age categories were observed, and monitoring frequencies increased after 2000, but did not exceed 35% in any year. Conclusion: Monitoring frequencies of ADR-related parameters in children, youth, and young adults treated with SGAs prescribed by a GP were low. Monitoring in primary care should be improved to enable a better evaluation of the benefit-risk balance during antipsychotic drug therapy.