November 29, 2011

Senate hearing on antipsychotic use in nursing homes to be held today

The Senate Special Committee on Aging will hold a hearing today about the use of antipsychotics in nursing homes.

The hearing, titled “Overprescribed: The Human and Taxpayers' Costs of Antipsychotics in Nursing Homes,” is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET, and will be held in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C.

Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) who is the chairman of the committee, has played an active role in investigating proper prescribing practices of antipsychotics in nursing homes. Antipsychotic medications, such as Seroquel, Zyprexa, Risperdal and Abilify, are often administered off-label to treat agitated and aggressive behaviors in dementia care residents.

Panelists at the hearing will be Daniel R. Levinson, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Patrick Conway, M.D., director and chief medical officer, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; Jonathan Evans, M.D. president, American Medical Directors Association; Tom Hlavacek, executive director, Alzheimer's Association of Southeast Wisconsin; Toby Edelman, senior policy attorney, Center for Medicare Advocacy; Cheryl Phillips, M.D., senior vice president of advocacy, LeadingAge.

Click here Wednesday for a live stream of the hearing.

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