Unnecessary Use of Antipsychotic Medications for Dementia Diagnoses
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that residents were not prescribed antipsychotic medications for the medical diagnosis of dementia, as evidenced by the cases of two residents who were administered Seroquel for dementia-related diagnoses. One resident was prescribed Seroquel 50 mg twice daily for vascular dementia with behavioral disturbances, and received 47 doses over a one-month period. Another resident was prescribed Seroquel 12.5 mg daily for unspecified dementia with psychotic disturbance, receiving 26 doses in the same timeframe. The facility's policy states that antipsychotic medications should only be used when necessary to treat specific, indicated conditions. During interviews, an LPN stated that Seroquel was being used for behaviors such as hitting or refusing care, and confirmed that the documented diagnosis being treated was dementia. The LPN was not aware if Seroquel was approved for the treatment of dementia. The DON acknowledged that antipsychotic medications are not approved for the treatment of dementia and indicated a preference for discontinuing their use, stating that such medications should only be used for specific problems like delusions. Despite this, the facility had seven residents prescribed antipsychotic medications, with the two sampled residents receiving them for dementia diagnoses.