Recommendations for Next Steps in Our Understanding of Use of Antipsychotics Among Older People in the Post-Acute Long-Term Care Environments: Article 3 of 3.

Abstract

This article is the third installment of a multi-part series on the history and usage of antipsychotics in older people living in nursing and assisted living facilities. This article presents next steps and recommendations for appropriate usage of antipsychotics in the older population based on the lead author's early drafts, submitted to the editors prior to his untimely death, of this series and on his consultations with the coauthors. Dr Levenson emphasized in his focus on next steps related to antipsychotic use: that all providers should review the history of antipsychotic use and recognize clinically legitimate alternative explanations for the findings. His conclusions were that "off label" usage should not be a reason to exclude the appropriate use of antipsychotics. His overall recommendations to clinicians are to assess and diagnose the underlying cause of the problem, understand the treatment options and select the best one to address the clinical problem and/or the symptom if the problem cannot be fully resolved, and to focus on all medications, not just antipsychotics, in a patient's regimen to aid in a comprehensive understanding of the assessment and inform therapeutic recommendations.