Andy Slavitt

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services established the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes in 2012 after a scathing report found 83% of antipsychotic drug claims were made for nursing home residents without conditions approved for antipsychotic use. 

Since then, nursing homes have decreased antipsychotic use by 27%, according to an update on the initiative released in June. That drop brings national prevalence of the drugs down to 17.4% in the third quarter of fiscal year 2015. 

CMS has called for antipsychotic use to be reduced by 30% by the end of 2016, a goal now apparently well within reach.