Utilization of Antipsychotics in Ambulatory Elderly With Dementia in an Outpatient Setting

As the baby boomer cohort enters older adulthood, the number of people aged > 65 years will grow to 72 million (20% of the total population) by 2030.(1) The proportion of the total population with Alzheimer disease (AD) will nearly double by 2050.(2) Among patients with AD, neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS), including agitation, aggression, delusions, and hallucinations, are the primary reason for nursing home placement, early institutionalization, increased cost of care, increased caregiver burden, and reduced quality of life.(3-5)