The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMMS) announced this week that it has begun auditing the nation's nursing homes to see if they are accurately diagnosing and treating elderly patients for schizophrenia.

Because of widespread overuse and abuse of antipsychotic pharmaceutical medications in seniors, CMS says it aims to crack down on the drug abuse problem plaguing America's nursing homes.

"People in nursing homes deserve safe, high-quality care, and we are redoubling our oversight efforts to make sure that facilities are not prescribing unnecessary medications," said Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the CMS administrator.