An upcoming PBAC review of antipsychotic prescribing will consider whether risperidone restrictions in aged care are behind the increasing use of other chemical restraints.

Since 2020, doctors have been barred from prescribing risperidone beyond 12 weeks without an authority script in response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety’s interim report. 

While the overall use of the medication as a chemical restraint has declined, the PBAC’s Drug Utilisation Sub-Committee (DUSC) says its use in residential aged care facilities has gone up. 

The latest DUSC report also suggests that the use of other antipsychotics — such as aripiprazole and olanzapine — to manage the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia has also increased.