Abstract
Recent initiatives to discourage over-prescription of sleep medications have increased awareness of their potential adverse effects in older adults; however, it is unknown whether these efforts translated into a decline in use of these medications in the United States. We assessed recent national trends in the use of medications for sleep disorders. Data came from the 2013-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. At each of three waves of in-person assessments, participants presented prescription bottles for all medications used in the prior month. Interviewers recorded each medication and participants self-reported duration and indications for use. We identified all medications used for a sleep disorder and categorized medications into two groups: FDA-approved sleep medications, and medications used off-label (i.e., any other medication reported to be used for sleep disorders). We examined changes in the prevalence in use of these medications across the study period. The odds of using medications for sleep disorders decreased 31% between 2013 and 2018 (odds ratio [OR]=0.69, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.51-0.92). This trend was driven by declines in use of FDA-approved sleep medications (OR=0.45, 95% CI=0.34, 0.59). Of note, among those age 80+ years, we observed an 86% decline (OR=0.14, 95% CI=0.05-0.36) in the odds of using FDA-approved sleep medications over the study period. Results suggest a possible effect of efforts to curb over-prescription and encourage judicious use of these agents. Future research needs to examine whether these changes have coincided with improved sleep health in the growing population of older adults.
PIH53 PATTERNS AND PREDICTORS OF OFF-LABEL ANTIPSYCHOTIC USE AMONG OLDER ADULTS WITH DEMENTIA IN AMBULATORY CARE SETTINGS IN THE UNITED STATES (US)
