Toronto Star

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

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Canada