New Brunswick Appropriate Use of Antipsychotics Collaborative 

  • Forming Teams
  • Planning Initiative
  • Launch
  • Changes Tested
  • Some Improvement
  • Improvement
  • Significant Improvement
  • Sustainable Improvement

The Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement, the New Brunswick Association of Nursing Homes (NBANH) and Government of New Brunswick collaborated to support the province-wide expansion of the Appropriate Use of Antipsychotics (AUA) approach to all 68 nursing homes in New Brunswick.

The AUA collaborative was delivered in two phases in New Brunswick. Phase one involved 15 teams and ran from May 2016 to May 2017. In phase two, together with our partners, we supported the spread of AUA to the rest of the provinces’ 43 long-term care homes from May 2017 until August 2018.

Over the two phases of the collaborative, more than half of participating residents1 who were prescribed antipsychotics without a diagnosis of psychosis had these medications safely reduced or discontinued. Final results included:

  • 52 percent of participating residents had their medication dose reduced (18 percent) or discontinued entirely (34 percent).
  • No increase in aggressive behaviours among these residents, such as resistance to care, and/or physically or verbally abusive behaviours.

Following the collaborative, some of the participating teams from New Brunswick joined CFHI’s Momentum Challenge – an invitation-only CFHI program that assists teams to expand the reach of an innovation and sustain its impact.

The Teams

  • Phase 1 (May 2016 – May 2017) and Phase 2 (May 2017 – August 2018)

  • Phase 2 (May 2017 – August 2018)

We are extremely pleased to have played a supporting role with CFHI and the Government of New Brunswick in bringing this innovation opportunity to New Brunswick Nursing Homes. The nursing home teams fully embraced the process for this care improvement, and we congratulate them on their leadership and staff commitment. It is very exciting to see the residents experience an improved quality of life.

-Jodi Hall
Executive Director of the New Brunswick Association of Nursing Homes. (2019)

1Of those still participating in the program at the end of Phase 1 and Phase 2.