Therapeutic Category
- Anti-Parkinson's Agent
- Anticholinergic Agent
- Antidote, Drug-induced Dystonic Reactions
Medication Safety Issues
Trihexyphenidyl may be confused with trifluoperazine
Beers Criteria: Trihexyphenidyl is identified in the Beers Criteria as a potentially inappropriate medication to be avoided in patients 65 years and older due to its highly anticholinergic properties. It is not recommended for the prevention or treatment of extrapyramidal symptoms with antipsychotics. In the treatment of Parkinson disease, more effective agents are available (Beers Criteria [AGS 2019]).
Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA): Trihexyphenidyl is identified as a high-risk medication in patients 65 years and older on the PQA’s Use of High-Risk Medications in the Elderly (HRM) performance measure, a safety measure used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for Medicare plans (PQA 2017).
