Off-label use of quetiapine in nursing homes: Does medical specialty of prescribing physicians play a role?

Disparities by Socioeconomic Status and Diagnosis of Dementia in the Prescribing of Antipsychotics in a Real-World Data Population Over 60 Years of Age

Background

Antipsychotics are widely used in the elderly due to the high prevalence of neuropsychiatric associated with dementia.

Objective

To analyze potential disparities in antipsychotic use in the general population of Gipuzkoa by socioeconomic status (SES) and diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD) adjusting for somatic and psychiatric comorbidities, age, and sex.

Methods

A retrospective observational study was carried out in all the 221,777 individuals over 60 years of age (Gipuzkoa, Spain) to collect diagnosis of ADRD, the Charlson Comorbidity Index, and psychiatric comorbidities considering all primary, outpatient, emergency and inpatient care episodes and first- and second-generation antipsychotics, and sociodemographic variables, namely, age, sex, SES and living in a nursing home. Logistic regression was used for multivariate statisticalanalysis.

Results

Use of any antipsychotic was greater in women, individuals over 80 years old, living in a nursing home, with a diagnosis of dementia, somatic and psychiatric comorbidities, and low SES. Quetiapine was the most used drug. The likelihood of any antipsychotic use was significantly associated with low SES (odds ratio [OR]: 1.60; confidence interval [CI]: 1.52-1.68), age over 80 years (OR: 1.56; CI: 1.47-1.65), institutionalization (OR: 12.61; CI: 11.64-13.65), diagnosis of dementia (OR: 10.18; CI: 9.55-10.85) and the comorbidities of depression (OR: 3.79; CI: 3.58-4.01) and psychosis (OR: 4.96; CI: 4.64-5.30).

Conclusions

The greater levels of antipsychotic use and institutionalization in people of low SES indicate inequity in the management of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Increasing the offer of non-pharmacological treatments in the health system might help reduce inequity.

[Polypharmacy and Neuroleptics in Swiss Nursing Homes in the Years 2019 and 2020]

Polypharmacy and Neuroleptics in Swiss Nursing Homes in the Years 2019 and 2020 Abstract. We present data from 92404 clinical assessments from 619 Swiss nursing homes . The data were collected in 2019 and 2020 from over 65-year-old residents. Two-thirds of those studied had severe cognitive limitations, one quarter had significant behavioral disorders and just over half of the assessed patients showed signs of emotional instability or depression. 46% were treated with nine or more different drugs, 37% received a neuroleptic in 85% for more than 90 days. There is a positive correlation between the number of drugs taken, age, cognitive impairment and susceptibility to falls. Since neuroleptics are administered in 30% under uncertain indication and the susceptibility to falls is increased by 40% under neuroleptics, their use should be reduced in the course of structured interprofessional processes.

Who prescribes quetiapine in Denmark?

The second‐generation antipsychotic quetiapine is commonly used off‐label for its anxiolytic and hypnotic properties. However, quetiapine is associated with problematic side‐effects. We used Danish Medicinal Product Statistics and a 20% random sample of the Danish population's prescription fills (2001–2020) to describe the utilization of quetiapine and proportion of various prescriber types (general practitioner [GP], specialist in private practice, hospital physician and other prescribers) both in connection to first‐time and subsequent prescriptions. In 2020, 92% of all quetiapine was dispensed outside hospitals and the average daily dispensed quantity of quetiapine per user corresponded to 100 mg/user/d. A GP issued 53% of first‐time prescriptions and 75% of subsequent prescriptions for quetiapine in 2020. The proportion of quetiapine prescriptions issued by GPs varied by age group—from 14% among 0–17‐year‐olds to 93% among the ≥80‐year‐olds. Future initiatives on the rational use of quetiapine and related drugs, especially among adults, should target GPs.

A safety signal of somnambulism with the use of antipsychotics and lithium: A pharmacovigilance disproportionality analysis

AIMS

Antipsychotics and lithium are widely used in psychiatry, particularly in schizophrenia and bipolar disorders. Recently, some cases of somnambulism or sleep-related eating disorder (SRED) have been reported in patients treated with these drugs. This study investigated the risk of reporting somnambulism or SRED associated with the use of antipsychotics and lithium.

METHODS

The World Health Organization pharmacovigilance database (VigiBase), comprising >18 million adverse events, was queried. All somnambulism or SRED reports related to antipsychotics or lithium were identified. The association between antipsychotics or lithium and somnambulism or SRED was computed using the proportional reporting ratio (PRR) and information component.

RESULTS

Among the 5784 cases reporting somnambulism or SRED, 508 suspected at least 1 antipsychotic or lithium. Most patients were aged 18-64 years (62.0%), and 37.0% were men. In most cases (77.6%), antipsychotic or lithium were the only drug class involved, and 53.3% of cases suspected quetiapine. Somnambulism was reported in 88.6% of cases and SRED in 18.1%. A significant association was found for second-generation antipsychotics (PRR 3.44, 95% confidence interval 3.13) and lithium (PRR 2.03, [1.22; 3.37]), but not for first-generation antipsychotics (PRR 0.99, [0.68; 1.44]).

CONCLUSIONS

We found a significant signal of somnambulism or SRED related to second-generation antipsychotics and lithium. While case reports mentioned mostly quetiapine and olanzapine, almost all second-generation antipsychotics were associated with somnambulism or SRED.

Prevalência e fatores associados à polifarmácia excessiva em pessoas idosas institucionalizadas do Sul do Brasil

Resumo Objetivo Verificar a prevalência e os fatores associados à polifarmácia excessiva em pessoas idosas institucionalizadas. Método Estudo transversal com 478 pessoas idosas residentes em instituições de longa permanência para idosos. A variável dependente foi polifarmácia excessiva, definida como o uso concomitante de dez ou mais medicamentos. As variáveis independentes incluíram informações sociodemográficas e de saúde. Utilizou-se a regressão de Poisson com variância robusta para analisar o efeito das variáveis independentes em relação ao desfecho. Resultados A prevalência de polifarmácia excessiva foi de 29,3%, associada à cardiopatia (RP=1,40; IC95% 1,03-1,91), diabetes mellitus (RP=1,52; IC95% 1,15-2,01), depressão (RP=1,42; IC95% 1,08-1,87), internação hospitalar no último ano (RP=1,36; IC95% 1,02-1,80) e ao uso de medicamento potencialmente inapropriado para idosos (RP=2,13; IC95% 1,60-2,83). Conclusão A polifarmácia excessiva foi frequente entre pessoas idosas institucionalizadas. Os resultados sugerem que as doenças prevalentes entre pessoas idosas, a hospitalização e o uso de medicamentos potencialmente inapropriados são fatores para o uso de polifarmácia excessiva nessa população. Esses achados podem instruir ações com vistas à otimização da farmacoterapia prescrita às pessoas idosas.