Project aimed at curbing sedation

A project aimed at reducing the use of benzodiazepines and antipsychotics in Tasmania’s nursing homes has secured funding from the Department of Health and Ageing.

The $200,000 project will be conducted by researchers from the University of Tasmania’s School of Pharmacy who have recently uncovered high levels of sedation in the state’s nursing homes.

“We found that the proportion of residents taking benzodiazepines in Tasmania compared to the national percentages was quite high,” said the Project’s leader, Professor Greg Peterson.

“However the usage rates for antipsychotics were fairly similar across the board.”

Professor Peterson said there were a number of reasons behind the relatively high use of sleeping tablets and antipsychotics in Tasmanian nursing homes, including a lack of resources and a poor understanding of the risk.

“There is probably an underappreciation among nursing home staff, GPs and pharmacists about the problems associated with those medications,” he said.

“Apart from the sedation itself, it is well established that they greatly increase the risk of falls and hip fractures which can be fatal or severely limit the quality of a person’s life in that age group.”

The first stage of the 18-month project will involve interviews with key stakeholders to identify the focus areas for a controlled intervention plan.  

“We plan to roll out a multi-pronged educational strategy involving GPs, pharmacists and nursing home staff, trying to highlight the issue and look at some of the alternative options,” said Professor Peterson.

The grant was awarded as part of the Community Pharmacy Agreement Research and Development Grants Program which is managed by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.