Protect patients from antipsychotics

Re Mayor Tory wants ‘The Fix’ in Toronto nursing homes, June 30 While the Star’s outstanding series on the “Butterfly” program in a few Ontario nursing homes is most welcome and compassionate, abuses are still happening.

For example, the psychiatric drugging of elderly and disabled nursing home residents with dementia and other serious conditions is continuing. It’s medical malpractice and elder abuse.

Moira Welsh’s informative article says the Butterfly program helped the Malton Village Redstone dementia unit see a “significant decline in antipsychotic drug use,” and that “Antipsychotic drugs in long-term care cost the taxpayer-funded Ontario Drug Benefit program $17.4 million in 2017-18.”

Why are these disabling, brain-damaging psychiatric drugs prescribed in the first place, especially to vulnerable elderly patients?

Since the late 1980s, doctors have known that neuroleptics (antipsychotics) frequently cause serious side effects — neurological disorders such as Parkinsonism, tardive dyskinesia, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, diabetes and other serious medical conditions.

Over three years ago, the Star exposed the “off-label” drugging of Ontario nursing home residents with dementia.

I urge current Ontario Minister of Health Christine Elliott to stop this harmful and unethical treatment of seniors. Don Weitz, Toronto