The number of dementia patients receiving prescriptions for antipsychotic medication has halved in the past four years, despite the number of people being diagnosed with the condition continuing to rise, NHS figures have shown.

There was a drop of 52 per cent in the number of people with dementia who received a prescription for antipsychotic drugs in England between 2008 and 2011, according to a report from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC). And the percentage of dementia patients prescribed the drugs fell by 10 percentage points over a six-year period – in 2011, 7 per cent of patients received such a prescription, compared with 17 per cent in 2006.

The decline in the number of prescriptions for antipsychotics among dementia patients was described as "encouraging" by the the HSCIC	More on antipsychotics prescribing Welsh government urges pharmacists to tackle       prescribing dangers Government pledges action on antipsychotics in       dementia Action on antipsychotics in dementia
	But despite the steep decline in national figures, the data showed significant regional variation, with antipsychotic prescribing levels six times higher in some areas than others. The figures were part of the first ever national primary care audit on dementia and antipsychotic prescribing, which used data on nearly 197,000 people with dementia across more than 3,800 general practices in England.

HSCIC chief executive Tim Straughan said the drop in antipsychotic prescriptions was "encouraging", but drew attention to the regional variations. "It is clear that the picture nationally is mixed and that everyone involved in the care of those with dementia needs to look carefully at how they compare with others in their practices," he said.

Last month, C+D reported that the Welsh government had advised pharmacists to challenge antipsychotic prescribing for dementia as part of a plan designed to improve the quality of healthcare.

Antipsychotics can help people experiencing some of the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia, such as agitation and aggression. However, they can also cause serious side effects.

A 2009 report by the Department of Health estimated that about 25 per cent of people with dementia were being prescribed antipsychotic medication designed to treat conditions such as schizophrenia. In November last year, C+D reported that health minister Paul Burstow had pledged to cut prescriptions of antipsychotics to patients with dementia without clinical justification, describing it as a "deprivation of liberty".