Stevens, Evelyn -- VA

Document ID: CMS-2011-0157-0522
Document Type: Public Submission
Agency: Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services
Received Date: May 30 2012, at 12:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
Date Posted: June 20 2012, at 12:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
Comment Start Date: April 12 2012, at 12:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
Comment Due Date: June 11 2012, at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time
Tracking Number: 81021753
View Document:

This is comment on Rule

Changes to the Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs for Contract Year 2013 and Other Changes

View Comment

Elderly persons with dementia residing in long term care facilities, and their families, should be treated with respect and compassion. The off-label use of atipsychotic drugs in nursing homes, to turn residents into compliant zombies - and without informed consent - certainly can generate larger profits for healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, but at what cost to health, human rights, and human dignity? Neither the residents who are unnecessarily drugged, nor the taxpayers footing the bill, can afford for CMS to wait for the nursing home industry to police itself to end unnecessary drugging, because nursing home residents are simply too vulnerable and far too convenient a market for overmedication abuses. CMS should take action now to require LTC consulting pharmacists to be independent of all financial entanglements which could influence drug reviews and recommendations.