Representative Kearns urges required sign-off on antipsychotic prescriptions for nursing home residents
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Summary
Rep. Sally Kearns testified on H.2216 seeking stronger oversight of antipsychotic prescribing in nursing homes after a personal experience with a parent; she said Massachusetts has disproportionately high antipsychotic use in nursing facilities and argued for a sign‑off requirement so antipsychotics are used only when clinically justified.
Representative Sally Kearns told the committee she filed H.2216 after personal experience with her father being given antipsychotic medication in a nursing home without adequate explanation.
Kearns said she arrived at her father's facility and learned staff had placed him on "an antipsychotic" without a clear conversation about its purpose. She said Massachusetts has, in her words, "disproportionately high rates of antipsychotic use in nursing homes," and proposed legislation to require a sign‑off or additional review before an antipsychotic is prescribed to a nursing‑home resident.
Why it matters: Kearns said antipsychotics are rarely appropriate for new onset psychosis in advanced age and that unnecessary prescribing can worsen outcomes. She asked the committee to consider the bill as a common‑sense measure to protect older residents from inappropriate medication.
What the committee heard but did not decide: The panel recorded the sponsor's remarks and there were no committee votes at the hearing.