The folks up in Boston are going absolutely crazy – and it’s not because the Red Sox won the World Series.

According to a recent article in the Boston Globe, an ongoing debate over nursing homes’ use of antipsychotics flared during a meeting of the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs.

Three separate bills under consideration would require written consent from nursing home residents or their legal representatives prior to administration of antipsychotic drugs. Two of the consent bills are in the Senate and one is being considered by the House.

Representatives of the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society said the requirements would hamstring caregivers, to the detriment of residents who genuinely need antipsychotics.

Supporters believe unnecessary antipsychotic prescribing is harming residents.

The Bay State has one of the highest antipsychotic prescribing rates in the country, according to a 2010 Globe analysis. This analysis spurred the Massachusetts Senior Care Foundation to launch an antipsychotic reduction campaign.

Of course, it’s also possible that the insanely high price tags of name-brand medications may have caused some people in New England to simply go crazy.

Maybe they should start considering generics.