Antipsychotic polypharmacy and Joint Commission quality measures: Implications to the psychiatric pharmacist

Patients with schizophrenia commonly receive more than one antipsychotic concurrently despite little evidence to support this practice. The Joint Commission has recently implemented Hospital-Based Inpatient Psychiatric Services (HBIPS) quality measures to monitor and reduce inappropriate antipsychotic polypharmacy in patients. Pharmacists need to have a clear understanding of these quality measures and consider their role in improving appropriate antipsychotic use.