Psychotropic drug prescribing in child and adolescent learning disability psychiatry.
This postal questionnaire study investigated the prescribing practices of a group of senior British psychiatrists who have responsibilities for children and adolescents with learning disabilities (mental retardation). The study revealed that all of the clinicians surveyed (n = 16) were prescribing psychotropic medication; psychostimulants and major tranquillizers represented the most frequently prescribed classes and, respectively, methylphenidate, risperidone, melatonin, sodium valproate and carbamazepine were the most frequently employed specific agents. Most patients were receiving monotherapy. Many (14/16) clinicians reported difficulties in shared-care prescribing arrangements with General Practitioners. The study concludes that psychopharmacology is an established part of the psychiatric management of learning disabled children but acknowledges the need for the elaboration of clinical governance standards to this area of practice.
Bramble
David
D
Services for Children and Young People, Telford & Wrekin PCT, Shrewsbury, UK. david.bramble@telfordpct.nhs.uk
D000293:Adolescent; D000296:Adolescent Psychiatry / Q000639:trends*; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002665:Child Psychiatry / Q000639:trends*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000639:trends*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom; D016526:Workload
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs