Long-Term Care

Antipsychotic use alarmingly high in some states

Contemporary Long-Term Care Weekly, March 11, 2010

The use of antipsychotic drugs, also known as psychotropics, appears to be very excessive in many nursing homes across the country, according to data collected by CMS and analyzed by The Boston Globe. The figures also suggest that the drugs are often being used inappropriately to treat residents suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, which may cause extremely harmful side effects.

In Massachusetts, 28% of nursing home residents were given psychotropics last year. Of those individuals, over 21% lacked a medical condition for which those drugs are intended. Eleven other states had an even higher rate, with a national average of 18.6%, according to the data.

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