Former White House COVID response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx told Newsmax Wednesday that nursing homes might be putting elderly residents at risk by improperly using antipsychotic drugs, following a new federal watchdog report.
Birx told "American Agenda" the findings from the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General highlight serious concerns about how facilities are treating vulnerable patients.
"It is really important," Birx said. "CMS [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services] has put really strict rules to protect the elderly — from not allowing the elderly to have restraints to not allowing them to have antipsychotic drugs, unless specifically indicated."
The OIG report, released March 16, found that some nursing homes administered antipsychotic drugs to residents with dementia to manage behavior "for the benefit of staff," despite Food and Drug Administration warnings that such drugs can increase the risk of death.
Birx said that such prescribing patterns should immediately raise red flags, particularly when paired with questionable diagnoses.
"You don't have new-onset schizophrenia in your 80s and 90s," she said, noting that most schizophrenia cases are diagnosed much earlier in life.
The watchdog review, which examined 40 nursing homes, found widespread lapses in care, including failure by medical directors and pharmacists to prevent inappropriate use and a lack of required monitoring for side effects.
The report also stated that antipsychotic drugs are not approved for treating dementia and carry the FDA's black box warning — its most serious — because of increased mortality risk in elderly patients.
Birx said some facilities might be relying on the drugs as a substitute for proper care.
"I think what they're trying to do is somewhat sedate the elderly because they can't use restraints and they're worried about them getting out of bed," she said.
The OIG report similarly found cases where drugs were used as "chemical restraints" or to address behaviors that posed little risk, including routine or harmless actions.
Birx also warned of serious health consequences tied to these medications.
"Some of them have side effects that are cardiovascular," she said. "They can cause sudden death. They can also increase the risk for depression."
Federal rules require nursing homes to attempt nondrug interventions first and to use the lowest possible dose for the shortest duration, but investigators found facilities often skipped those steps or failed to reassess patients.
Birx urged families to play an active role in protecting loved ones.
"Make sure that you are there as an advocate and you are going there and seeing what's happening," she said. "Most importantly, they need to ask what medications their family members are on."
Birx added that families should also ask caregivers directly about treatment practices.
"It's about giving voice to those who need us the most," she said.
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