Risk Evaluation for Antipsychotic Agents Used in Elderly Inpatients (REPAIR)

Antipsychotics have been approved for the treatment of certain psychiatric illnesses. However, these medications are also frequently used off label, and recent studies have suggested a concerning potential increase in the risk of death when used by elderly patients with dementia. Most of the available literature focusing on off-label use of antipsychotics comes from long-term care facilities; there is a lack of quantitative data for elderly patients in the acute care setting. This study was designed to examine this scenario and to identify potential quality improvement opportunities to minimize harm.

The primary objectives were to determine the prevalence of hospital-initiated off-label use of antipsychotics for elderly inpatients and to determine the plan for these drugs upon discharge. The secondary objectives included identifying the most common diagnosis and the most common agent used.

A retrospective cohort study was performed with a convenience sample. Patients included in the analysis were elderly adults (≥ 65 years) who had been admitted to either of 2 medical units at a community hospital between September 1 and November 8, 2014. Descriptive statistics were used to examine prevalence patterns for the off-label use of antipsychotics.

A total of 250 patients were included in the analysis. Forty-five patients (18%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 13.7%-23.2%) received a hospital-initiated antipsychotic for off-label use during the admission. For 27 (60%, 95% CI 45.5%-73.0%) of these 45 patients, the off-label therapy was discontinued upon discharge or death, and for 13 (29%, 95% CI 17.7%-43.4%), the agent was continued upon discharge without a plan in place. The most frequent diagnosis was delirium, and the agent most frequently used was haloperidol.

Off-label antipsychotic therapy was initiated for almost 1 in every 5 elderly patients receiving care in 2 medical units at a community hospital. These findings suggest a need to monitor and reassess the off-label use of these agents, especially at the time of discharge.