Treating Dementia - Drug Therapy Not The Answer

Almost 190,000 Australians have dementia and as Australia's population ages, dementia becomes a bigger challenge for doctors, their patients and carers. According to the National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS), there are limited benefits to using cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine in the treatment of patients with dementia drug therapy. "Research indicates that the benefits of cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine are small, some people will not respond and adverse effects are common," says NPS clinical expert, Education and Quality Assurance Program Manager, Ms Judith Mackson. "Because the response rate is low and the effects of cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine are small, if these medicines are to be used, it is imperative that they are monitored in order to objectively assess their effectiveness for the... [read full story]