GreaterOversightof MentalHealth
PracticesinNursing HomesWelcomed
OnJanuary18th,theU.S.DepartmentofHealthandHumanServices’(HHS)Centersfor MedicareandMedicaidServices(CMS)announcedthatitwaslaunchingacrackdownon certainnursinghomesthataremisdiagnosingseniorswithschizophreniaandtreatingthem withdangerousantipsychoticdrugs.
Mentalhealthindustrywatchdog, CitizensCommissiononHuman RightsInternational(CCHR) commendsHHSSecretaryXavier Becerraforlaunchingthe investigation.
TheHHSannouncementofthecommencementofthecurrent investigationnotedthatin2012,thefederalgovernmentbegantracking whennursinghomesusedantipsychoticsonresidents.
In2007,then-FDAdrugreviewer DavidGrahamsaidthatatleast
15,000residentshaddiedin nursinghomesfromantipsychotics.
InMay2012,U.S.SenatorsChuckGrassley,(R-Iowa),HerbKohl(D-Wisconsin),and RichardBlumenthal(D-Connecticut)filedanamendmenttotheFoodandDrugAdministration SafetyandInnovationActseekingtocombatthecostly,widespread,andinappropriateuseof antipsychoticsinnursinghomes.
Despitethis,evidencehasmountedsincethenof somefacilitiesadministeringantipsychoticdrugsto sedatethem,despitedangeroussideeffectsthat couldincludedeath.TheFDAevenissuedtwoblack boxwarningscitingincreasedriskofdeathwhen antipsychoticsareusedinelderlywithdementia.
FollowingSenatorGrassley’sefforts,antipsychoticsfornursinghomeresidentsdroppedtounder20% inrecentyears,accordingtofederaldata.However,the2022reportbyHHS-OIGrevealedthat residentswerestillbeingwronglydiagnosedwithschizophreniainordertoprescribeantipsychotics.
Initsrecentstatement,HHSstoppedshortof threateningtolevyfinesagainstthosefacilitiesthat violatetheelderly.Theagencydoesnothaveplansto immediatelyinterveneinthepatients’caredirectlyor notifyrelativesofresidentswhohavebeenwrongly codedorgivenantipsychotics.
AccordingtoIQVia’sTotalPatientTrackerDatabasefor2020,over 19millionelderlyages65andolderweretakingapsychotropic drug,ofwhich2,170,963weretakingantipsychotics.
TheFoodandDrugAdministration (FDA)hasissuedtwo“blackbox” seriouswarningscitingincreasedrisk ofdeathwhenantipsychoticsare usedinelderlypatientswithdementia.
CCHRsaysHHSneedstoimplementeffectiveoversight, accountability,andpenaltiesforrightsviolations.
Accountabilityrequiressubstantialcivil,financial andcriminalpenaltiestobeputinplace,CCHR says.Andfortheelderlytobeassuredproper careintheirgoldenyearsandtobecompensated whenabused.Ourseniorcitizensdeservenothing less,CCHRsays.
FindOutMoreathttps://www.cchrint.org/issues/protectelderly/