Am J Psychiatry 1990; 147:1637-1639
Copyright © 1990 by American Psychiatric Association
A longitudinal study of psychotropic prescriptions in a teaching nursing home
MS Lantz, A Louis, G Lowenstein and GJ Kennedy
Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10467.
This study clarifies the methodological pitfalls of using cross- sectional
data to characterize episodic and continuous patterns of prescribing
psychotropic medications in nursing homes. Although more than half of the
residents in a teaching nursing home received a psychotropic drug during
their 5 years of residence, less than one- quarter were continuously
medicated. The authors conclude that although the rates of psychotropic
prescriptions are an important entry point for concerns about quality and
appropriateness of psychotropic administration to older nursing home
residents, longitudinal studies including the prescribing pattern,
indications, and efficacy are needed to determine more clinically
meaningful indicators of quality care.
