Australia’s chief medical officer is set to clamp down on GPs who overprescribe antipsychotics in nursing homes, estimating that only 10% of scripts are justified.

Giving evidence at the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, Professor Brendan Murphy also revealed that GP education was being planned that made it clear doctors risked allegations of “unprofessional practice” for non-evidence-based scripts.

Professor Murphy, who has direct responsibility for the Department of Health’s workforce division, told a Sydney hearing that prescribing data would be aggregated to identify high prescribers of risperidone and warning letters would be sent to offenders.

“We’re going to identify those people who are prescribing what we think is an abnormal amount, and we’re going to send them letters from me, which generally have a pretty significant impact, saying that they should reflect on their practice and provide them educational material,” he said.