A Nursing Home Clinician Survey to Explain Gabapentinoid Increases

Survey nursing home (NH) clinicians about the indications for NH gabapentinoid use, the factors driving increased prescribing, and their experiences with gabapentinoid deprescribing.

Online clinician survey.

NH clinicians prescribing gabapentinoids in US NHs.

An anonymous survey of NH prescribers was conducted using SurveyMonkey from March 15 to July 1, 2024. Recruitment employed crowdsourcing, targeting the membership of NH clinician organizations. A multidisciplinary team developed the instrument. Content focused on the magnitude of gabapentinoid prescribing for different, previously identified, indications, as well as clinician deprescribing experiences and perspectives.

Sixty-two self-identified NH prescribers participated: 76% white, 55% female, 77% physicians. One-third had geriatric training certifications. Most NH gabapentinoids were started in other care settings by non-NH clinicians. Gabapentinoid prescribing initiated in NHs was principally off-label for pain syndromes. Although prescribing solely for psycho-behavioral symptoms was rare, most clinicians reported that gabapentinoids have some utility in treating these symptoms and consequently may be preferred over alternative analgesics when psycho-behavioral symptoms coexist with pain. Gabapentinoid deprescribing occurs infrequently and is deprioritized relative to opioid reduction efforts. Most clinicians acknowledged potential gabapentinoid side effects; however, severe harms were rarely observed, and half agreed that gabapentinoids are generally safe and well-tolerated. Seventy-nine percent perceive gabapentinoids as safer and better tolerated than opioids, 57% than benzodiazepines, and 40% than antipsychotics.

An opportunity exists to increase NH safety by prioritizing gabapentinoid gradual dose reduction requirements. Because so many prescriptions originate outside NHs, any reduction effort should emphasize deprescribing across all care settings. Clinicians' perceptions of gabapentinoids as reasonable but unmonitored alternatives to opioids and psychotropics contribute to their increased use. Safety and efficacy data supporting such prescribing for nonapproved indications in NHs is lacking. Existing NH psychotropic reporting and reduction mandates should include gabapentinoids regardless of indication.