SPECTROM Australia: A Mental health medicines training programme

The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (DRC) 2023, found substantial evidence to suggest that psychotropic medicines were being over-prescribed to people with intellectual disability. The DRC 2023 also found that in many cases, the overprescribing and overuse of psychotropic medicines was used as a form of chemical restraint, with individuals suffering from a variety of side effects, often not understanding the medicines they were being administered and the side effects occurring to their own bodies. The DRC 2023 recommendations in Volumes 6 and 10, detailed the need to have person centred planning and resources, accessible information on psychotropic medicines for NDIS participants, health professionals and better health information to enable informed decision-making. This program aims to empower health professionals on psychotropic medicines in relation to people with intellectual disability to improve knowledge, skills and advocacy. The ability to better inform health professionals about psychotropics with ensure people with intellectual disability are appropriate prescribed and administered psychotropic medicines, have fewer side effects and improved quality of life. To complete this, a training programme will be built and piloted based on the SPECTROM UK programme, but transformed for the Australian healthcare context.