The Wall Street Journal (8/27, A6, Lagnado, Subscription Publication) reports that a two-year effort by nursing homes and Medicare to reduce use of antipsychotic medications has been unsuccessful. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid officials witnessed a 9% decrease in antipsychotic usage from 2011 to 2013, far from the goal of a 15% decrease by the end of 2012. Officials now hope to reach the 15% rate decrease by the end of the year. According to nursing home officials, instead of addressing the issue of hiring more staff, many nursing homes instead resort to antipsychotics to pacify their residents.
Related Links:
— “Nursing Homes’ Drug Use Falls,The Wall Street Journal, August 26, 2013.