Researchers who sought to understand the evolving continuing medical education (CME) needs of psychiatrists managing patients with tardive dyskinesia (TD) conducted a survey that assessed current practice, knowledge, and attitudes of clinicians in the management of patients with TD. Results were obtained from 213 psychiatrists in 2018 and from 125 psychiatrists in 2020. On average, psychiatrists completing the survey in 2020 had been in practice for 31 years and managed 15 patients per month with TD, yet less than one-half in both years were able to correctly identify the prevalence of TD in patients on maintenance antipsychotics, with many underestimating reported prevalence. Even though considered the treatment of choice for most patients with TD, respondents reported moderate familiarity with VMAT2 inhibitor therapies for the condition. While there was an increase in the percentage of psychiatrists who would use a VMAT inhibitor in 2020 compared with 2018 (54% and 44% respectively), a notable percentage (24% of psychiatrists in 2018 and 16% in 2020) would use an anticholinergic to manage TD symptoms, despite lacking clinical evidence supporting such use.
