1. Medicine Management
People With Learning Disabilities
Often Struggle With Their Medicine,
So Let’s Learn How They Cope…

2. Day To Day Life With A Learning
Disability
A few things to remember when thinking about learning disabilities,
which often prevent those with learning disabilities from practicing
proper medicines management, include;
• Fewer than 1 in 5 people with a learning disability are able to work.
• This is lower than disabled people generally, where the rate is 1 in 2.
• Coupled with the inability to work, many learning disabled people
are unable to care for themselves and rely on carers.
This brings about a range of difficulties when it comes to medical
care, as people who are learning disabled are likely to have to take
multiple medicines – possibly on a daily basis.
Keeping up with such a regimen may be difficult or impossible for
those with learning disabilities.

3. What Are The Difficulties Of
Administering Medication?
There are many difficulties in administering medication to
people with learning disabilities including;
• Many children have learning disabilities and need to have
medicine given to them by parents or carers.
• People with learning disabilities might not recognise the
need to take medicine.
• Taking pills may be uncomfortable for those with
learning disabilities, particularly children.
• People with learning disabilities may not take their
medicine because they don’t like the taste.

4. What Can Be Done To Ease These
Difficulties?
Those capable of administering their own
medication will wish to keep things as simple as
possible, though the frequency of taking
medication may complicate matters.
The ease of taking medicine needs to be taken
into account as it may influence people to not take
their medication – which may then result in a
deterioration of their condition.

5. What are the options?
• Giving carers accurate information on how to
properly administer medication
• Using alternative medicines instead of pills such
as liquid medicine, inhalers or patches.
• Linking taking medicine to activities, particularly
for children so that taking their medicine is a fun
and memorable part of their day.

6. Why are some people with learning
disabilities able to administer their
medicine themselves?
• Those with mild learning disabilities may be able to take
their own medicine more easily.
• If a person has the capacity to take their own medication
then they have a right to make their own decision on
treatment.
• Learning disabilities are very diverse; with a wide range of
different abilities and understandings therefore many
people may take their own medicine without any
problems.
• Under common law those with the capacity to consent to
treatment must make the decision themselves.

7. Effective Medicines Management For
Learning Disabled People & Carers
There are many different ways in which people
with learning disabilities or their carers can
effectively take or give their medication.
People with learning disabilities can still take their
medicine, whether with the help of a carer or
themselves with a proper understanding of the
difficulties learning disabled people have in taking
medicine and the effective solutions to it.

8. Sources
• Image Sources
– http://www.flickr.com/photos/dominiquegodbout/51
80502739/
– http://static.tumblr.com/4c82d99380b3b0251e3ee92
e836c4645/0jz1efu/t3ymhtcwk/tumblr_static_pill.jpg
• Information Sources
– http://www.guardian.co.uk/public-leaders-
network/2011/apr/13/employment-learning-
disabilities
– http://www.ukppg.org.uk/tablets-in-food.html