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An estimated 15,000 people die in nursing homes every year as a result of being given antipsychotic medications to treat dementia. Many elderly people are also being given these drugs at home, so we can safely assume that the death toll is climbing in that setting as well. Both nursing home residents and those taking the drugs at home may need medical drug detox to get off the drug safely so medical practitioners and families can find other solutions.

The situation appears to be similar to that of OxyContin - although the FDA approved these drugs for use for some conditions in some patients, dementia in the elderly was not among them. In fact, in 2002, the FDA issued a black box warning regarding this use of the drugs after studies revealed that the death rate was increased by about 100%, according to Dr. David Graham, a prominent FDA drug safety expert.

Nevertheless, sales reps from Eli Lilly, the maker of Zyprexa, one of the drugs on which the black box warning was issued, formed a sales force of 280 reps who implemented confidential plans to promote use of the drug into this market. As a result, 15,000 people are dying in nursing homes alone, and even more probably need drug detox.

Are these drugs really necessary?

One nursing home doctor in Brooklyn didn’t think so. Dr. Louis Mudannayake of the 400-bed Cobble Hill Health Center decided to look for other solutions. He put together a team of pharmacists, social workers and recreational therapists to review every atypical antipsychotic prescription and the reasons behind it.

By implementing simple solutions like changing room assignments when one patient irritated another, or teaching a new aide how a patient likes to be taken care of, he was able to reduce the need for these drugs significantly.

If you have a loved one at home or in a nursing home taking Zyprexa or any similar drug – the same black box warnings were issued on Abilify, Seroquel, Risperdal, Clozaril, Geodon and Symbyax - contact a medical drug detox program that can help them withdraw from the drugs safely. And like Dr. Mudannayake, look for other, safer, solutions.

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