Abstract

Antipsychotics are high risk medications that require informed consent due to their high risk of adverse events, especially in the aging population. Adverse events include ischemic events, falls and a risk of death. A review of interventions to offset antipsychotic risks was conducted searching for major health, medicine and nursing databases. Risks and side effects of antipsychotics were reviewed and ways to mitigate the risks, including education in lifestyle to prevent metabolic derangement. Healthcare providers can contribute to deprescribing efforts when alternatives may be safer by ensuring informed consent during psychoeducation. Once the decision to prescribe an antipsychotic is made, risk mitigation education should begin. Lifestyle interventions and behavior management talking points are evidence-based ways to mitigate risks and promote deprescribing efforts. Talking points can increase self-efficacy to discuss risks and ways to mitigate the risks during psychoeducation. Antipsychotic risk mitigation: Informed consent, deprescribing and psychoeducation talking points for lifestyle and behavior modification.

Keywords:Antipsychotic risks; Deprescribing; Psychoeducation; Ischemia; Metabolic syndrome