Anti-Psychotic Drug Use Plummets in TN Homes

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

The use of potentially deadly anti-psychotic medications on long term Tennessee nursing home patients suffering from dementia has plummeted since 2012, the result of the combined efforts of the state and private partners.
Data provided Friday by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services shows the percentage of long-stay Tennessee nursing home patients diagnosed with dementia and being treated with anti-psychotics dropped to 15.1 percent in the first quarter of 2018. That represents a 49.5 percent drop from the the 30 percent rate recorded in 2012, when CMS began assembling quarterly statistics.
And while Tennessee ranked 49th among other states in 2012, the latest data show it ranks 30th.
The effort to reduce the use of anti-psychotics on dementia patients is based on the fact that the drugs can be deadly for these patients.
In fact the drugs are required to carry a so-called black box label warning users of the potential deadly result for dementia patients. Among the drugs requiring the black box label are risperidone, haloperidol and perphenazine.

WARNING: Increased mortality in elderly patients with dementia related psychoses


The new data is being hailed by Tennessee Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner who called the achievement an "important milestone."
State health officials credit efforts by the nursing homes themselves along with QSource, the Eden Alternative and Vanderbilt University for educational efforts that included regional conferences along with webinars.
The seminars included a 2014 session in Nashville where nursing home employees from the region were told about alternative methods for the treatment of dementia patients, such as re-direction.
"The evidence is that the use of these drugs actually shortens peoples lives," Bill Thomas of the non-profit Eden Alternative said at the May 2014 session.
The CMS data show Hawaii was ranked first in the latest data with only 6.2 percent use of anti-psychotic on dementia patients.
Oklahoma had the worst rate with 19.4 percent use of anti-psychotics on long-term nursing home dementia patients. Not far behind was Alabama where a 19.2 percent rate was reported.
"Working together we've improved the quality of life for more than 3,500 elderly Tennesseans," said Beth Hercher of QSource, a private agency that monitors health care quality.
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