Neuroleptic prescribing in residents of nursing homes. Behaviour problems are underdocumented.

EDITOR,—By applying American guidelines on neuroleptic use within nursing home facilities, Alice McGrath and Graham Jackson have deemed the prescription of these drugs for Glasgow nursing home residents to be potentially inappropriate in most cases.1 Their interpretation of the findings may be incorrect. No data are provided on the extent of behaviour problems among the patients studied. Previous research in similar settings suggests that a high prevalence of behaviour problems can be anticipated.2 3 Neuroleptic use may seem inappropriate in many cases because the …