Withdrawal Plan

Suggested withdrawal plan for an antipsychotic:

  1. Discuss and develop a withdrawal plan with the prescriber once an antipsychotic is tolerated and effective.
  2. Prescriber to initiate withdrawal plan, aiming to cease no later than 12 weeks.
  3. To begin withdrawal, halve the dose every 2 weeks, ceasing after 2 weeks on the minimum dose.
  4. Prescriber and care team to regularly monitor and review for side-effects and responsive behaviour recurrence.
  5. If the target responsive behaviour reoccurs at any point in the withdrawal process, liaise with the prescriber and consider increasing to the previous lowest effective dose.
  6. After cessation:
    1. If the target responsive behaviour reoccurs return to Support Plan: Stage 1.
    2. If the target responsive behaviour is no worse once the antipsychotic is ceased, continue to maintain non-pharmacological approaches.