title: Drug administration in day centres for people with learning disabilities.
abstract: A study was made of the problems associated with the need to administer medicines at day centres for people with learning disabilities. In Leicestershire, 167 (13%) of 1317 people with learning disabilities who attended day centres required the administration of medicines. The percentage of attenders requiring drug administration varied from day centre to day centre (minimum 4%, maximum 23%). Antiepileptics were the most commonly administered drugs, followed by antipsychotics. The administration of medicines took up a significant amount of time for senior members of the day centre staff and had a great potential for errors. In only 32 cases was it deemed essential that the drug administration occurred at the day centre.
authors.affiliation: Fosse Health Trust, Leicester.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Branford
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Knifton
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jackson
mesh_terms: D003631:Day Care, Medical; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000451:nursing*; D008508:Medication Errors; D009740:Nursing Staff; D016526:Workload