A group of drugs that can have serious adverse effects when used by the elderly continues to be widely prescribed in Canada and the United States, despite concerns about their safety.
The drugs, called atypical antipsychotics, are used to manage the behavior of seniors who have dementia, but many experts consider them to be dangerous and possibly ineffective in elderly patients.
In 2005, both Health Canada and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States warned that atypical antipsychotic medications increased the risk of death among elderly patients with dementia.
The Health Canada warning stated that in 13 scientific studies, elderly patients with dementia who were prescribed atypical antipsychotics had a 60 percent higher death rate on average than similar patients taking placebos.
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Friday, December 28, 2007
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