In 2024, Island Health was recognized as a Choosing Wisely Canada Hospital at the Quality Improvement status level. To achieve the designation, Island Health Oversight Committee focused on three key quality improvement initiatives:
- Becoming a Using Blood Wisely Hospital;
- Participating in Using Labs Wisely; and
- A self-directed Choosing Wisely quality improvement project, namely Reducing antipsychotic prescribing in seniors with dementia in acute care.
Rates of antipsychotic prescribing for seniors with and without dementia have risen in 2025, with quetiapine being the number one prescribed antipsychotic in this age group despite the lack of evidence-based support for use for insomnia and the risks in this age group.
Over the last month the Antipsychotic Working Group have published a series of four articles highlighting data related to antipsychotic prescribing at Island Health. We encourage you to read the four articles to learn more.
*The articles and resources are all hosted on the Island Health Intranet. Island Health login is required*.
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Seroquel ≠ Sleep: Choosing Wisely for Seniors with Dementia Learn how Choosing Wisely at Island Health |
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New Start, New Risk: Rethinking Antipsychotics in Acute Care Learn more about new antipsychotic prescriptions |
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Aligning for Impact: Acute Care and the National Antipsychotic Target Learn about the Appropriate Use Coalition and the nation-wide target for antipsychotic prescribing in long-term care (LTC). The new national target to reduce inappropriate antipsychotic use in LTC is also an opportunity for improvement in acute care prescribing. |
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Every Pill Has a Footprint: Rethinking Routine Prescribing The impacts of inappropriate antipsychotic prescribing go beyond the patient outcomes – each medication carries an environmental cost. Read on to learn more about the hidden environmental footprint of quetiapine. |
Making a Difference: A Toolkit for Change
We encourage you to continue the conversation around appropriate antipsychotic prescribing for seniors with dementia in acute care by visiting some of the tools that have been developed to support best practice.
- “Seroquel ≠ Sleep” infographic and decision tree to help guide you towards appropriate prescribing.
- A virtual simulation module with four case scenarios, enabling self-directed learning on clinical decision-making in dementia care.
- Choosing Wisely at Island Health Interactive Report track antipsychotic prescribing rates by site and island wide showing improvements over time.
- Test your knowledge with our Antipsychotic Use Knowledge Quiz!
Needing rest? Quetiapine may not be best. Choosing Wisely can make a difference.
Reach out to MedStaffQI@islandhealth.ca if you want to learn more, or join the conversation by commenting on the Weekly articles.