A retrospective cohort study of prescription drug use among youth with intellectual/developmental disabilities in British Columbia

• Published in: Journal of intellectual disability research Vol. 68; no. 10; pp. 1156 - 1166
• Main Authors: Marquis, S., Marquis, N. E., Lunsky, Y., McGrail, K. M., Baumbusch, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-10-2024
• Subjects: Antidepressants; Challenging behaviour; Cohort analysis; Developmental disabilities; Drug abuse; Drug use; Health information; Intellectual disability; Medical personnel; People with disabilities; Prescription drugs; Psychiatric disorders; Psychotropic drugs; Side effects; Stimulants; Treatment and services; Youth; Intellectual disability; Challenging behaviour; Psychiatric disorders; Treatment and services
• ISSN: 0964-2633; 1365-2788; 1365-2788
• DOI: 10.1111/jir.13147

Background
People with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) are known to have high rates of prescription drug use, particularly for psychotropic medications. This is of concern due to the many side effects associated with these medications and because of the risks of polypharmacy. In this paper we compare the most commonly dispensed drugs and all psychotropic medications for youth with IDD compared with youth without IDD.
Methods
Using population‐level administrative health data over a 10‐year period, this study examined medications dispensed to youth with an IDD aged 15–24 years compared with youth without an IDD. The most common medications dispensed and the number of youth they were dispensed to were determined. As well a wide variety of psychotropic medications were examined.
Results
There were a total of 20 591 youth with IDD and 1 293 791 youth without IDD identified. Youth with IDD had higher odds of being dispensed pain medications, amoxicillin, salbutamol, levothyroxine and all the psychotropic medications (antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, anti‐adrenergic agents, mood stabilisers and stimulants). For youth with IDD, 6558 (31.85%) were dispensed two or more different psychotropic medications within a year, compared with 75 963 (5.87%) of youth without IDD.
Discussion
Compared to youth without IDD, youth with IDD had significantly higher odds of being dispensed most of the prescription medications studied, including all of the psychotropic medications. They were also twice as likely to be dispensed two or more medications from different classes of psychotropic drugs within the same year. These findings have important implications for the health of people with IDD and for their health care providers.