Medicines support for children with learning disabilities
Following requests from our users, the Medicines for Children team are starting a new project to work with healthcare professionals to provide further support to children with learning disabilities.
These additional resources are currently being reviewed/under development.
If you would like to be involved with this work or to find out more about what the team have planned, please email us at medicines.leaflets@rcpch.ac.uk
Until our resources are ready, you may be interested to read more about NHS England’s STOMP-STAMP campaign, either below or for more details please see their patient information leaflet.
The STOMP and STAMP programme of work is about making sure children and young people with a learning disability, autism or both are only prescribed the medicines that they need, at the right time and for the right reasons.
What does STOMP – STAMP mean?
STOMP – Stopping The Over-Medication of children and young People with a learning disability, autism or both
STAMP – Supporting Treatment and Appropriate Medication in Paediatrics
Who is involved in STOMP-STAMP?
STOMP-STAMP was launched in December 2018 by NHS England and The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.
These organisations made a pledge at the launch event:
- The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH)
- The British Association of Childhood Disability (BACD)
- Council for disabled children (CDC)
We pledge to ensure that children and young people with a learning disability, autism or both are able to access appropriate medication (in line with NICE guidance,) but are not prescribed inappropriate psychotropic medication. Regular and timely reviews should be undertaken so that the effectiveness of the medication is evident and balanced against potential side effects. This will mean that children and young people are only getting the right medication, at the right time, for the right reason.
We, the undersigned, pledge to work together with children and young people with a learning disability, autism or both and their parents, carers and families, to take measurable steps to ensure that children and young people only receive medication that effectively improves their lives.
We pledge to set out the actions that our individual organisations will take towards this shared aim and report regularly on the progress we have made, ensuring that we can be held to account.