The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) has released the first national standard for the use of psychotropic medicines in the clinical care of people with cognitive disability or impairment. It outlines clear steps for clinicians, service providers and consumers.  

Both the Aged Care Royal Commission and the Disability Royal Commission found that psychotropic medicines were being misused and overused in clinical care, particularly in older people with cognitive disability or impairment.  

Since March 2022, ACSQHC and the two royal commissions have worked together to find ways to reduce the use of psychotropic medicines, especially to control the behaviour of people with cognitive disability or impairment.   

A topic working group and the aged care and disability communities were consulted last year, and the new standard has been endorsed by 25 professional and consumer organisations.   

The person-centred approach in the standard takes a significant step in ensuring safer, more effective treatments that uphold the rights and dignity of older people and people with disability.  

The new standard can be read or downloaded from the ACSQHC website in pdf and easy-read versions.