More evidence of dementia drug abuse

New evidence of the high use of dementia medications in senior care facilities was revealed after the Royal Commission of the sector learned that they were too often prescribed as a first resort.

The commission hearings will resume in Adelaide on Monday with testimony from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and the Federal Department of Health.

Last week, the commission learned that psychotropic drugs are too often used in the first place to treat people with dementia.

Geriatrician Edward Strivens said that about 80% of patients with dementia took at least one form of psychotropic medication, such as antidepressants or sedatives.

But he added that only about 10% would see a real improvement, while the possible side effects could include falls and deaths due to stroke.

"They work for lack of a better term, but the side effects will often outweigh the possible benefits," said Professor Strivens.

"They are a last resort, but we see them too often used as a first resort."

Research conducted by Flinders University in Adelaide has shown that residents of retirement homes are much more likely to be prescribed medication for the treatment of behavioral and psychological symptoms, especially an antipsychotic.

Published in the Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research, the study examined data related to the issuance of pharmacy records from 541 residents in 17 Australian retirement homes.

Over the past 12 months, these residents have been prescribed an average of 14 different medications, of which 95% were for the nervous system and 94% for the digestive tract and metabolism.

But the study also found that risperidone, an antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and irritability, was nine times more likely to be prescribed to patients with dementia.

The researchers said that intensive use occurred despite clinical practice guidelines recommending to avoid as much as possible the use of antipsychotics for dementia.

"The present study demonstrated that risperidone was prescribed to a quarter of nursing home residents suffering from dementia, suggesting that this drug is likely to be over-prescribed," revealed the researcher. ;study.

"These findings are consistent with those of other researchers reporting a high rate of antipsychotic use among nursing home residents."