Disability Royal Commission unveils attitudinal indignation and over use of psychotropic medication in treating ‘behaviours of concern’
This week the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability is holding their sixth public hearing, which is examining the use of psychotropic medication in addressing behavioural problems with Australians living with psychosocial, intellectual and learning disabilities.
Over 26 witnesses will provide evidence on the extent of psychotropic drugs being administered to treat ‘behaviours of concern’ exhibited by those with emotional, psychological or physical ailments.
This includes service providers mismanaging their clients’ safety, health and wellbeing in supported accommodation and clinicians injecting anti-psychotic drugs into a young autistic teenager with partial focal seizures and no diagnosis of psychosis/depression, resulting in his death despite hospital personnel not having permission to do so.