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Psychotropic Medication

Optimising psychotropic medication for people with intellectual disability

A 3 year programme of work aimed at improving the use of psychotropic medication in adults with intellectual disability. The project includes a systematic literature review, qualitative study, and a feasibility trial of an innovative new method of conducting psychotropic medication review meetings using a web-based application.

Project Background and Aim

Our earlier research has shown that many people with intellectual disability receive psychotropic medication, in some cases without a diagnosis of mental illness. The extent of prescribing of these drugs suggests that improved prescribing is possible.

Our aim is to extend knowledge on the complex issue of psychotropic prescribing in people with intellectual disability. This will allow us to develop and test a computer-based medication review tool that can be used in routine clinical practice in order to ensure the best use is being made of psychotropic medication and that people with intellectual disability are at the centre of their care.

Funding and management

The work is funded by an NIHR Doctoral Research Fellowship awarded to Rory Sheehan (DRF-2016-09-140). The supervisory team is led by Professor Angela Hassiotis (UCL) and includes Professor André Strydom (King's College London) and Dr Nicola Morant (UCL). Dr Paramala Santosh (King's College London) and Louise Marston (UCL) are project collaborators. The work is sponsored by University College London.

Drugs