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Antipsychotic Drugs

Used appropriately, medications can cure disease, ease pain, and enhance quality of life. Used inappropriately, drugs can cause disability, pain, and decrease quality of life. Antipsychotic drugs affect the brain and influence thinking, feeling, and reacting. These drugs pose special risks for older people and increase the risk of death in persons with dementia. Antipsychotic drugs used to treat behavioral symptoms in place of good care are called chemical restraints.

Click on the links below to find more information on the topic of the misuse of antipsychotic medications.

Resources Produced by Consumer Voice
Common Antipsychotics Inappropriately Prescribed to Nursing Home Residents
National Data on Antipsychotic Use in Nursing Homes
Other Useful Resources and Links
Ombudsman Program Examples
Information to Share with Consumers

Resources Produced by Consumer Voice

Avoiding Drugs as Chemical Restraints: Changing the Culture of Care Consumer Education Campaign

National Data on Antipsychotic Use in Nursing Homes

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Nursing Home Compare Website
This resource allows users to research data on individual nursing homes, including the percentage of residents receiving antipsychotic medications under the section entitled 'Quality Measures'. It also lists the state average and the national average of antipsychotic use in comparison to each individual nursing home's data.

ProPublica's Nursing Home Inspect Website
This resource allows you to search nursing home inspection reports listing deficiencies cited in nursing homes nationwide. You can search by state, severity of the deficiency and by keyword to find deficiencies related to the inappropriate use of antipsychotic medications in individual nursing homes.