Physical Health Checks in Patients on Antipsychotic Medication.

Schizophrenic patients have traditionally suffered from high rates of cardiovascular disease and early mortality. NICE guidelines suggest that several physical health measures be monitored regularly in these patients, and particularly those on antipsychotic medication, which has a wide side-effect profile that may potentiate the risk of cardiovascular disease and other comorbidities. This general practice audit aimed to determine the rates of physical health monitoring in primary care in patients on antipsychotic medication for over a year for psychotic symptoms or schizophrenia. The search was conducted in three different general practices in March 2019, yielding 19, 8 and 30 patients respectively, with a total of 57 patients. This audit aims to record and analyse rates of monitoring of a range of physical health measures recommended by NICE guidelines over the past year. The results demonstrated that physical health monitoring was poor amongst all the practices audited, especially that of prolactin and waist circumference. We recommend that these rates of monitoring be improved, through implementing templates or the delivery of targeted education to general practitioners and nurses.