Psychotropic medication use in Canadian long-term care patients referred for psychogeriatric consultation

Abstract

Background and Puspose: Prior studies have shown a high prevalence of psychotropic medication use among patients residing in long-term care homes (LTCHs). The purpose of this study was to examine psychotropic medication use by LTCH patients in a metropolitan Canadian city referred to outreach teams for psychiatric assessment. Methods: A retrospective review of charts from specialized psychogeriatric outreach teams serving a large metropolitan city in Canada was undertaken. Data from 68 charts were reviewed. Data were analyzed using descriptive and correlational statistics. Results: Antipsychotic medications were the most frequent drugs prescribed to patients referred for psychogeriatric assessment (55.9%), followed by antidepressants (50.0%), cognitive enhancers (44.1%) and benzodiazepines (29.4%). More than a quarter of patients (26.5%) were on three psychotropic medications. Medications were adjusted in 35.3% of cases mostly resulting in dose increases. Only 5.9% of patients had their medication dose reduced. Conclusions: This preliminary exploratory study suggests that patients referred to specialized outreach teams may be a difficult-to-treat population. Further studies are required to establish effective prescribing practices and service delivery models.