Serotonin in platelets has a major role in promoting vasoconstriction and platelet aggregation. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which are widely used clinically, inhibit the serotonin transporter responsible for serotonin uptake into platelets. This serotonin depletion reduces clot formation, thus increasing bleeding risk. This risk is particularly elevated in older adults who are also more likely to have co-morbid physical health conditions. The Maudsley Guidelines recommend that if SSRIs cannot be avoided in those assessed as high bleeding risk, then gastro-protective proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) should be prescribed. The aim of this full cycle audit was to evaluate all patients in an older adult community health team (OACMHT) to assess how many were prescribed an SSRI and whether PPI cover had been considered in those deemed to be at higher risk of a GI bleed due to either age or concomitant medication use.

All patients open to the OACMHT prescribed an SSRI were identified. Their electronic notes were checked to see if they were either prescribed medications or had comorbidities which increased bleeding risk. Electronic notes were reviewed to assess if bleeding risk had been considered at the time of prescribing SSRI, in addition to whether a PPI had been prescribed.

This was repeated 6 months later following the results being presented to prescribers within the OACMHT.

Patient age ranged from 60 – 101 years. 23% of patients were prescribed SSRI medication. There was an improvement in the proportion of patients on SSRIs prescribed PPIs in the second cycle compared to the first cycle of this audit (64.7% vs 56.5%). We also found that the majority of patients prescribed an SSRI and medications known to increase bleeding risk were prescribed a PPI in both audit cycles. We found only 1 patient in our cohort had bleeding risk explicitly documented in electronic notes.

SSRI use is common within the OACMHT. The majority of patients were prescribed a PPI alongside their SSRI. This improved in the second cycle of this audit. A significant number of those prescribed a PPI had their PPI prescription commenced prior to an SSRI being prescribed which may have artificially inflated our results.

However, a significant proportion of patients prescribed SSRIs were not prescribed PPI cover which is not in line with current Maudsley guidelines. Therefore there is still work to be done in minimising bleeding risk in patients taking an SSRI within the OACMHT.