A comparison of prescribed medication in learning disability patients before and after resettlement from hospital into the community.

The use of prescribed medication was examined in 34 people with learning disability who underwent a planned resettlement from a hospital into the community. No significant differences were found in the number of subjects receiving antipsychotic, antimuscarinic, antidepressant, and anticonvulsant medication, lithium preparations, and non-psychoactive medication, just prior to discharge and 1 year after discharge. This study indicates that long-stay hospitalised adults with moderate, severe or profound mental retardation can successfully be relocated into the community--in spite of suffering from behavioural and major psychiatric disorders--with the aid of appropriate medication, psychiatric follow-up, and community resources.