Nursing homes where there is a record high rate of antipsychotic drug prescriptions in the previous year are more likely to prescribe antipsychotic agents to newly admitted older adult patients, even when there is no clinical indication that the patient needs this therapy.In 2007, almost one-third of U.S. nursing home residents received antipsychotic drugs, raising serious concerns about the safety of their use. In 2005, the Food and Drug Administration issued warnings regarding the risk of death among older adults with dementia being given these agents to control behavioral symptoms. A large clinical trial recently concluded that the adverse effects of atypical antipsychotic drugs outweighed the benefits in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
The study suggests that organizational culture at some nursing homes may encourage the prescribing of antipsychotics. "Future research is needed to determine why such a prescribing culture exists and whether there are adverse health consequences as a result of our observed facility-level antipsychotic prescribing rate," they concluded. "This study may also inform future policies to target nursing homes with high antipsychotic prescribing rates to improve quality of care for nursing home residents."
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Too Many Antipsychotic Drugs?
4 comments:
The more exposure on the use of psychotropic drugs, the better!
The truth must come out OR we are next.
Chemically straightjacketing someone into silence and/or submission is WRONG. And it's big profit for big pharma.
It is frustrating to sat the least that nothing is being done about the abuse of antipsychotic drugs in nursing homes. My father has end-stage Parkinson's. Was given Seroquel and Celexa which caused frightful hallucinations. He was taken off and recovered his ability to communicate. Within a few days, he was given Zyprexa. Under the guise of behaviorial issues, he has been drugged to the point where he is asleep and unaware of what is going on around him. He does not want to eat or drink and is suffering dehydration. Although the drug is not supposed to be given to Parkinson's patients, the nursing home will not discontinue the drug! Before these antipsychotics were given to dad, he could talk, watch tv, read the newspaper and even play cards! Yes, he does have some behaviorial issues and can be difficult to manage at times. Although taking away the drugs would improve his life considerably and prevent his death from dehydration and starvation, the nursing home will not take him off. They say he could hurt someone or himself. Excuse me, but, I think the drug is hurting him more! Bottom line is, if we want him taken off the drug, we have to take him home or put him in another facility, both of which are impossible to do. So, we must watch dad die in a most disgusting way!
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