Seven days in medicine: 1-7 June 2016
BMJ 2016; 353 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.i3177 (Published 08 June 2016) Cite this as: BMJ 2016;353:i3177
UK news
End “chemical restraint” of people with learning disabilities
New guidance from NHS England and the Royal College of General Practitioners is urging GPs to review prescriptions for patients with learning disabilities or autism and to make sure that psychotropic drugs are continued only when the person poses a severe risk to themselves or others and all other alternatives have been exhausted. A review published last year found that between 30 000 and 35 000 people in the United Kingdom with learning disabilities or autism were taking an antidepressant or an antipsychotic despite not having the conditions for which the drugs are indicated. (See full BMJ story doi:10.1136/bmj.i3137)
Pregnant women in Scotland to get free vitamins
Every pregnant woman in Scotland is to be offered free vitamin supplements from next year as part of a drive to improve the health of mothers and babies. The announcement is part of a package of measures that includes a “baby box” for every newborn, with clothing, bedding, books, toys, and a toothbrush, and the box itself can be converted into a basic crib. A similar initiative has been in operation in Finland since the 1930s, where it has …
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