American Health Care Association member facilities lowered their off-label use of antipsychotics nearly 30% over the past four years, the group announced Tuesday.
There were 16.7% of residents who were were receiving an antipsychotic medication in the third quarter of 2015. That’s a 29.2% decrease from four years ago, when almost 24% of the residents were on the medications, the group said.
AHCA is .8% away from the goal it set in 2014, along with CMS’ National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes, to decrease antipsychotic usage by 30% by December 2016.
More than half of AHCA facilities have reached the 25% reduction, with roughly 49% garnering a 30% reduction.
“This announcement today signals a major accomplishment not only for providers but, more importantly, for the tens of thousands of residents, patients and their families who are no longer experiencing the negative effects and toll these drugs take,” said AHCA President and CEO Mark Parkinson. “While that’s good news — and represents progress throughout just one quarter of study — we won’t stop pursuing safe alternatives that result in better care for those in our centers.
