Reducing antipsychotic drug prescribing for nursing home patients: a controlled trial of the effect of an educational visit.

We conducted a statewide, controlled trial of the efficacy of an educational visit in reducing antipsychotic drug prescribing for nursing home patients. Frequent antipsychotic drug prescribers were visited by a trained physician counselor who stressed known drug risks for elderly patients and suggested techniques for reducing antipsychotic drug use. Although well-received, the visit did not reduce antipsychotic drug prescribing. This negative finding suggests that future interventions address factors within the nursing home which encourage antipsychotic drug use.

Duke Scholars

Author Daniel German Blazer Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Behavioral Medicine & Neur ...