Abstract
People with intellectual disabilities are vulnerable in healthcare environments. They experience health and healthcare inequalities, and when admitted to general hospitals are at a greater risk of patient safety incidents. This is well known in specialist services, but less recognized within primary or secondary healthcare. The most significant barriers to safer and better healthcare appear to include ‘invisibility’ of people with intellectual disabilities within health-care systems, widespread lack of staff understanding of intellectual disability, the vulnerabilities of people with intellectual disabilities, and the reasonable adjustment they may need in order to access health-care services. They may be ‘invisible’ to pharmacists in general hospitals. This article aims to raise awareness among those pharmacists and others providing care and support to people with intellectual disabilities in hospital in relation to how pharmacists can contribute to safety. Medication is the main therapeutic intervention in this population. Research is needed to determine the role of pharmacists in improving health outcomes and reducing health inequalities in this vulnerable population group when they are admitted to general hospitals.
Highlights
People with intellectual disabilities are vulnerable in healthcare environments
The author has seventeen years of experience working as a pharmacist in long-term care for people ageing with intellectual disabilities in Ireland, and presented a poster on this topic at the Hospital Pharmacists Association of Ireland Annual Educational Conference in 2014 and the All Ireland Pharmacy Conference in 2015
Does the pharmacist know that the prevalence rate of epilepsy amongst people with intellectual disabilities has been reported as at least twenty times higher than for the general population, that uncontrolled epilepsy can have serious negative consequences on both quality of life and mortality, and that the management of epilepsy is important because of the risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP)? They need to ask relevant questions
Summary
People with intellectual disabilities are vulnerable in healthcare environments They are at particular safety risk in acute hospital settings [1] The care they receive in hospital can be of poor quality. They experience health and healthcare inequities [2] and, on admission to general hospitals, are exposed to more risk of patient safety incidents throughout their care pathway [3] They have a different health profile from the general population, and their needs are often unrecognised and unmet in general hospitals. There are opportunities for hospital pharmacists to participate in efforts to improve the quality of care provided to people with intellectual disabilities in hospitals. The author has seventeen years of experience working as a pharmacist in long-term care for people ageing with intellectual disabilities in Ireland, and presented a poster on this topic at the Hospital Pharmacists Association of Ireland Annual Educational Conference in 2014 and the All Ireland Pharmacy Conference in 2015
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