In June 2016, NHS England launched a programme, STOMP, to reduce the extent of over-prescribing of antipsychotics and antidepressants to people with learning disabilities, autism or both.
This study was commissioned by NHS England to devise a method to report the impact of their programme to stop over-medication for people with learning disabilities, autism or both (STOMP). It provides data about the extent and trends in the use of psychotropic drugs between January 2010 and December 2017.
The methods used in this study could be used to monitor the trends in prescribing rates and patterns of psychotropic drugs prescribed by GPs for people with learning disabilities, autism or both.
The conclusions from the study were limited due to the short period of time and a reducing population coverage towards the end of the time period studied. Other similar data sources are available and the methods used in this study could be applied to them.
Even with the limited data points, the study showed that, following the launch of STOMP, changes to GP prescribing of psychotropic drugs were beginning to happen in the desired direction for adults with learning disabilities.
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