Antipsychotic drug use in seniors
Antipsychotic drugs are commonly prescribed to treat the symptoms of dementia, such as aggression, agitation and delusions, in elderly residents of long-term care facilities. There are well-documented safety concerns with the use of these medications in seniors. Despite the known health risks, 39 per cent of seniors in Canadian long-term care facilities were prescribed an antipsychotic drug at least once in 2014, according to a Canadian Institute of Health Information report. Antipsychotic use was higher among men (42.5%) than among women (37.5%), and men taking an antipsychotic were at a higher risk than women of developing a serious side effect.