Use of neuroleptics: study of institutionalized elderly people in Montreal, Que.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of neuroleptic use in long-term care institutions in the greater Montreal, Que, area and to estimate the extent of use of atypical neuroleptics.

Design: Cross-sectional study in which single-day chart reviews were conducted to evaluate the prevalence of use of conventional and atypical neuroleptics.

Setting: Ten long-term care institutions in the greater Montreal area.

Participants: Two thousand, four hundred sixty residents aged 65 years or older living in 10 long-term care institutions in and around Montreal.

Main Outcome Measures: Single-day medication profiles compiled by institutions' pharmacists.

Results: Among patients in the 10 participating institutions, use of neuroleptics ranged from 15% to 37% with a mean of 25.2% (620/2460). Atypical neuroleptics were prescribed to 15.6%, conventional neuroleptics to 7.6%, and a combination of both to 2.0% of the 2460 patients.

Conclusion: Use of neuroleptics was relatively prevalent, and there was wide use of atypical neuroleptics in Montreal-area long-term care institutions. There is little information on the safety and efficacy of these medications for institutionalized elderly people.