SNFs Fall Short on Antipsychotic Reduction Goal, But Still Making Progress

The bad news: Skilled nursing facilities are expected to fall far short on the goal of reducing off-label use of antipsychotics by 15 percent.

The good news: They're still making progress.

CMS and the American Health Care Association teamed up with the goal of reducing off-label antipsychotic use by 15 percent by the end of 2012. According to CMS, facilities have only averaged around a 4 percent reduction. The good news, she noted, is that use is going down steadily in every region, even if the goal wasn't met.

Some facilities are meeting the goal, however, and have even reported up to a 50 percent reduction in the use of antipsychotics.

According to a 2010 CMS quality indicator report, 39.4 percent of residents nationwide who had cognitive impairment and behavioral issues but no diagnosis of psychosis or related conditions received antipsychotic medications.

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