Feds to investigate nursing home abuse of antipsychotics
By AMANDA SEITZ
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government says it will begin a targeted crackdown on nursing homes’ abuse of antipsychotic drugs and misdiagnoses of schizophrenia in patients. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is launching investigations this month into select nursing homes. The agency says evidence has mounted over decades that some facilities wrongly diagnose residents with schizophrenia or administer antipsychotic drugs to sedate them, despite dangerous side effects. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said Wednesday no nursing home resident should be “improperly diagnosed with schizophrenia or given an inappropriate antipsychotic.” An association representing nonprofit nursing homes says they’ve worked on other ways to treat patients.
