Purpose: To examine factors associated with prescribing anti-dementia medicines (ADM), atypical antipsychotics (A-APM), typical antipsychotics (T-APM), anxiolytics and other psychostimulants (OP) in the residents of long-term care institutions (LTCIs).
Methods: A cross-sectional survey of a country-representative sample of randomly selected LTCIs in Poland, conducted in 2015-2016. First, we identified 1035 residents with cognitive impairment (CI) among all 1587 residents. Next, we randomly selected 20 residents from each institution. Study sample consists of 455 residents with CI: 214 recruited from 11 nursing homes and 241 from 12 residential homes. We used InterRAI-LTCF questionnaire and drug dispensary cards administered on the day of data collection to assess use of drugs. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA), descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed.
Results: The residents were treated with ADM (13.4%), OP (14.3%), antipsychotics (46.4%) including A-APM (24.2%) and T-APM (27.9%), and anxiolytics (28.4%). Hydroxyzine was used most often among anxiolytics (71.3%). Prescribing of ADM was more likely in Alzheimer's disease (OR = 4.378; 95%CI 2.173-8.823), while OP in other dementia (OR = 1.873; 95%CI 1.007-3.485). Administration of A-APM was more likely in older residents (OR = 1.032, 95%CI 1.009-1.055), and when delusions appeared (OR = 2.082; 95%CI 1.199-3.613), while there were no neuropsychiatric factors increasing the odds of T-APM use. Prescribing of anxiolytics was less likely in moderate CI (by 47.2%) than in residents with mild CI.
Conclusion: Current practices of prescribing psychotropics are inadequate in Polish LTCIs, especially in terms of use of T-APM and hydroxyzine. More attention should be given to motivate physicians to change their prescribing practices.
Keywords: Antianxiety agents; Antipsychotics; Cognitive impairment; InterRAI-LTCF tool; Nursing homes; Residential facilities.