About one-third of seniors in a nursing home are prescribed an anti-psychotic drug to help with dementia, even though such drugs could kill them, according to a new government watchdog report.
The Government Accountability Office released the report Monday highlighting the overprescribing of drugs used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Such drugs can help with aggression, delusions or agitation in dementia and Alzheimer’s patients who may try to harm themselves, the agency said.
However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned since 2005 that using drugs such as haloperidol and risperidone, known by the brand names Haldol and Risperdal, to treat dementia can lead to a higher risk of death.
So why are they still being prescribed?
Staff training and education in nursing homes may not be aware of the problems, said Katherine Iritani, a director of healthcare at the agency in a recent podcast.
Nursing home staff levels, particularly low staff levels, lead to higher antipsychotic drug use, the report said.
Another problem is that antipsychotic drugs may be prescribed in a hospital, and that practice carries over to the nursing home.
The agency said the Department of Health and Human Services needs to step up its outreach and educational efforts to address antipsychotic drug use. While the department has done a good job assisting nursing homes, more needs to be done outside of such facilities, a recommendation the department agreed with.
One in seven seniors outside of a nursing home are prescribed an antipsychotic for dementia, Iritani said.
The report analyzed 2012 data of seniors who stayed in a nursing home for more than 100 days and were prescribed an antipsychotic under Medicare.
