There is a lack of medicines information for people with learning disabilities, says NPSA
There is a lack of information about medicines for people with learning disabilities, according to a report published last week by the National Patient Safety Agency.
The report, concerned with improving patient safety for people with learning
disabilities, identifies five priorities — control and restraint,
vulnerability of people with learning disability in general hospitals,
swallowing difficulties, lack of accessible information and misdiagnosis.
People with learning disabilities may be harmed if they are unable to
understand information relating to illnesses, treatment or interventions,
the report suggests. Patients have called for bigger labels on medicines
and simpler information leaflets about medicines. The report notes that
visual or audio formats can be useful in conveying information to patients
who cannot read or who have difficulty with complex written information.
The NPSA is the first patient safety organisation in the world to look
at specific patient safety risks for people with learning disabilities.
Previously, little was known about the specific risks of people with
learning disabilities being involved in patient safety incidents. The
report is available as a PDF file
(3.1 MB).
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Pharmaceutical Journal