CIHI shows 30% of N.B. nursing home residents without psychosis were prescribed antipsychotics during pandemic

N.B. had the third-highest rate of LTC residents being prescribed these tranquillizers without a psychosis diagnosis in 2020-21. CIHI shows 30% of N.B. nursing home residents (the national average is 22%) were given antipsychotic medication without a diagnosis of psychosis during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. CIHI calls the situation "potentially inappropriate" use because the residents are given the drugs off-label, not as recommended by Health Canada. It shows one N.B. home (Villa St-Joseph in Tracadie) ranked second highest in the country, at 71.4%. Three other homes in northern N.B. are among the country's top seven. CIHI explains high score doesn't necessarily indicate a quality-of-care issue. For its part, Villa St-Joseph estimates 90% of its new residents arrive from a hospital already taking an antipsychotic, often for more than a year.
Related:
Utilisation potentiellement inappropriée d’antipsychotiques en soins de longue durée - ICIS
More than 1 in 5 residents in long-term care given antipsychotics without a diagnosis, data shows - CBC
Antipsychotiques sans diagnostic : « c’est alarmant », disent des intervenants du N.-B. - Radio-Canada