LONG BEACH, CALIF. — Antipsychotics prescribed to patients in nursing homes often lack documentation of proper indications, according to findings from a retrospective study that support the results of previous studies of medical charts in nursing homes.
In a review of charts for 131 patients at one institution from April through September 2009, 8 of the 32 residents on antipsychotics were prescribed the drugs without indications meeting DSM-IV definitions and regulations for psychoactive and hypnotic medications, Dr. Bich-Thy Ngo reported in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the American Medical Directors Association.
Charts for two residents had no indications listed at all for the antipsychotics, and the other six were prescribed the drugs for other indications, said Dr. Ngo of Texas Tech University, Lubbock.
Dr. Ngo noted that the elderly are especially vulnerable to the adverse effects of psychoactive drugs.
She reported having no disclosures.
Of the 32 residents on antipsychotics, 8 were prescribed the drugs without meeting DSM-IV indications.
Source DR. NGO