Antipsychotic Drug use in Nursing Homes: Trend Update

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is tracking the progress of the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes by reviewing publicly reported measures. The official measure is the percentage of long-stay nursing home residents who receive an antipsychotic medication, excluding residents diagnosed with schizophrenia, Huntington's disease, or Tourette’s syndrome. In the fourth quarter of 2011, 23.9 percent of long-stay nursing home residents received an antipsychotic medication; since then there has been a decrease of 31.8 percent to a national prevalence of 16.3 percent in second quarter of 2016. Success varies by state and CMS region; some states and regions have seen a reduction greater than 30 percent. A four-quarter average of this measure is posted on the Nursing Home Compare website.

For More Information, visit the National Partnership webpage.