Correct medication use in individuals with intellectual disabilities - It is all about life

This project is a collaboration project between the Municipality of Vestvågøy in the archepilago Lofoten, UiT the Arctic University and University of Oslo

Background: Research indicates that medication-related adverse events can lead to challenging behaviors in individuals with intellectual disabilities. This has been shown to improve through dose reduction, medication discontinuation, and/or de-prescribing unwanted medications (Deutsch & Burket, 2021). Ongoing service development work at Nordlandssykehuset demonstrates that pharmacogenetic testing (CYP testing) of individuals in geriatric psychiatric care, including those with intellectual disabilities, has increased the accuracy of medication treatment. This ensures that a medication is not administered if the individuals lack the necessary enzymes for the medication to be effective, or the dosage is adjusted to avoid unnecessary side effects (Steien, 2020).
Aim: The main goal of the project is to develop an interdisciplinary framework for optimizing medication management and monitoring medication use in individuals with intellectual disabilities affiliated with Vestvågøy municipality.