This Deprescribing Tool was developed together by CFHI and the School of Pharmacy - Memorial University of Newfoundland. It is used to assess the appropriateness of long-term care residents’ antipsychotic medication.
Antipsychotics have been found to be minimally effective in managing responsive behaviours people with dementia experience (such as reactions, agitation, and apathy) and are associated with decreased cognitive functioning and adverse events when used long term, especially in older adults. In most cases, antipsychotic medications should not be the first choice for treatment of responsive behaviours.
Instead, the care team should be empowered to get to know resident preferences, create supportive environments that reflect resident preferences, and be given time to identify and meet the needs of the person with dementia.
Use this tool to assess the appropriateness of your residents’ antipsychotics medication. We recommend you consider reducing antipsychotic medications for residents who have a prescription for an antipsychotic but who do not have a diagnosis of schizophrenia, Huntington’s chorea, hallucinations, delusions that cause distress, and who are not classified as end-of-life residents.
Download the Tool