antipsychotics

Health & Safety

The White House Says Nursing Home Regulations Are Too Tough

8:47am November 30, 2019

by Ina Jaffe

The Trump administration wants reduce the "burden" on nursing home operators by relaxing the rules governing the facilities. Critics see troubling implications for the care of millions of residents.

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A major study published Monday finds that widely prescribed antipsychotic drugs like haloperidol are no more effective than a placebo for treating delirium.

Antipsychotic Drugs Don't Ease ICU Delirium Or Dementia

4:59pm October 22, 2018

by Richard Harris

Though widely prescribed in hospital intensive care units to treat hallucinations and other signs of delirium, Haldol and similar drugs are no better than a placebo for such patients, a study finds.

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About a decade ago, the FDA started requiring drugmakers to add black box warnings to labels and prescribing information for Soroquel and other antipsychotic drugs. The agency made the change after the medications were linked to an increased risk of death

'Dear Doctor' Letters Use Peer Pressure, Government Warning To Stop Overprescribing

1:16pm August 07, 2018

by Ina Jaffe

Researchers found that a simple letter to doctors, focusing on their high prescribing rates, reduced their tendency to give risky antipsychotic drugs to their patients, including some with dementia.

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Drug companies have infiltrated nearly every part of the process that determines how their drugs will be covered by Medicaid.

Health & Safety

Investigation: Patients' Drug Options Under Medicaid Heavily Influenced By Drugmakers

11:18am July 18, 2018

Drug companies have infiltrated nearly every part of the process that determines how their drugs will be covered by Medicaid, an investigation by NPR and the Center for Public Integrity finds.

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Antipsychotic drugs, such as haloperidol and risperidone are FDA-approved for treating schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, but can increase the risk of death in older people who have dementia.

Risky Antipsychotic Drugs Still Overprescribed In Nursing Homes

8:51pm February 05, 2018

by Ina Jaffe

Too many people with dementia are being given sedating drugs to make them easier to handle in understaffed facilities, a new study finds, despite federal warnings to stop the practice.

Children and teens in foster care are much more likely to be prescribed antipsychotic drugs.

California Approves Laws To Cut Use Of Antipsychotics In Foster Care

6:03pm October 08, 2015

by Elaine Korry

The laws are intended to reduce inappropriate prescribing of powerful antipsychotics to children and teens in foster care. Public health nurses will monitor medical records.

California Moves To Stop Misuse Of Psychiatric Meds In Foster Care

12:02pm September 02, 2015

by Elaine Korry

There's ample evidence that children in foster care often get powerful psychiatric medications when other treatments would be safer and more effective. But those treatments can be hard to get.

Antipsychotics Too Often Prescribed For Aggression In Children

2:11pm July 01, 2015

by Nancy Shute

Drugs intended to treat psychosis are also used to treat behavioral problems in children with ADHD. Less risky behavioral treatments and medications should be the first choice, researchers say.

Is the benefit from antipsychotic drugs for people with dementia symptoms worth the risk?

Health & Safety

Risks Run High When Antipsychotics Are Prescribed For Dementia

8:29am March 19, 2015

by Scott Hensley

Results from an analysis of veterans' health records show a higher risk of death among people taking antipsychotic drugs for symptoms of dementia than has been documented before.

Antipsychotic drugs aren't necessary in the vast majority of dementia cases, gerontologists say. The pills can be stupefying and greatly raise the risk of falls — and hip fracture.

Old And Overmedicated: The Real Drug Problem In Nursing Homes

4:22pm January 04, 2015

by Ina Jaffe

Way too many residents of U.S. nursing homes are on antipsychotic drugs, critics say. It's often just for the convenience of the staff, to sedate patients agitated by dementia. That's illegal.

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