Visual summary KEY

AChE INHIBITORS
Pharmacological management
Donepezil
for people with dementia DON

This infographic summarises NICE guidance on GAL Galantamine

drugs that can be offered as a part of treatment for
people with the most common forms of dementia. RIV Rivastigmine
An individualised approach is necessary owing to
the wide variety of symptoms faced by each person MEM Memantine
with dementia.

ALZHEIMER’S
Mild Moderate Severe

NEWLY DIAGNOSED Monotherapy is Monotherapy is

PATIENTS recommended recommended
as an option as an option

PEOPLE INTOLERANT Monotherapy is

OF, OR WITH A recommended
CONTRAINDICATION as an option
TO, AChE INHIBITORS

PEOPLE ALREADY TAKING

Consider Offer in
AN AChE INHIBITOR
in addition addition

Do not stop AChE inhibitors because of disease severity alone

WHO CAN PRESCRIBE ALZHEIMER’S DRUGS?

FOR PEOPLE NOT ALREADY TAKING: FOR PEOPLE ALREADY TAKING:

Only start treatment on the advice of a clinician who has the necessary knowledge and skills, such as:

Secondary care medical specialists Other healthcare professionals, if they have expertise Once the decision has Primary care prescribers
diagnosing and treating alzheimer’s disease been made to start may start treatment with
Psychiatrists Geriatricians drug therapy, the first
GP Nurse Advanced nurse prescription can be
Neurologists consultant practitioner
made in primary care without specialist advice

NON-ALZHEIMER’S
People with DEMENTIA Mild Moderate Severe
WITH LEWY BODIES

No contraindications Offer Consider

and
Consider GAL
not tolerated

AChE inhibitors
Consider
contraindicated

People with VASCULAR DEMENTIA
Only consider: if they have suspeced comorbid:
Alzheimer’s disease
Parkinson’s disease
Dementia with Lewy bodies
People with FRONTOTEMPORAL DEMENTIA or People with PARKINSON’S
COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT CAUSED BY MULTIPLE DISEASE DEMENTIA
SCLEROSIS For guidance on
pharmacological management,
see Parkinson’s disease
DO NOT OFFER dementia in the NICE guideline
on Parkinson’s disease

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