The Use of Psychotropic Medication for People with Learning Disabilities

Heslop, Folkes and Roger's article about the knowledge and experiences of people with learning disabilities and their carers of psychiatric drugs, and Lim's audit of prescription regimes in a hospital for people with severe learning disabilities in Hong Kong, add weight and substance to a substantial body of evidence which suggests that people with learning disabilities are often prescribed inappropriate, and at times excessive, amounts of psychotropic medication and that many staff/carers lack sufficient knowledge and skills to monitor and manage such medications (Singh et al, 1996). A number of years ago we wrote a review of the use of psychotropic drugs for people with learning disabilities (Stenfert Kroese et al, 2001) which included a number of recommendations. The Heslop et al and Lim papers bring up many issues which were relevant to these recommendations.