Characterising the nature of psychiatric disorders and patterns of antipsychotic medications prescribed in a psychiatric ward in a public hospital in Tasmania.

This article evaluates antipsychotic prescribing patterns in an inpatient psychiatry ward at the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH) Mental Health Inpatient Unit in Tasmania, focusing on the prevalence of antipsychotic polypharmacy (APP), dosage levels, and alignment with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatry (RANZCP) Clinical Practice Guidelines. Among 118 discharged patients, 40% received APP, primarily predicted by younger age and diagnoses of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder; long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics were used in 46% of patients, with risperidone being the most common LAI. The average daily antipsychotic dose was 529 mg chlorpromazine equivalents, with 13% of patients prescribed high doses (over 1000 mg), all in polypharmacy contexts. The study concludes that prescribing practices are consistent with other clinical settings but recommends ongoing monitoring to ensure adherence to best practice guidelines.