We support STOMP
STOMP stands for stopping over-medication of people with a learning disability, autism or both with psychotropic medicines, and is a national project involving many different organisations which are helping to stop the over use of these medicines.
STOMP is about helping people to stay well and have a good quality of life. In 2018 we signed up to the STOMP pledge, which includes commitments to actively explore alternatives to medication, and to work in partnership with people who have a learning disability and or autism and their carers to involve service users in decisions about the use of psychotropic medicines.
We have also committed to ensure that all our frontline staff have both an understanding of psychotropic medication including the reasons for prescribing and likely side-effects, and that all staff can speak up if they have concerns that someone is receiving inappropriate medication.
We have set up a number of dedicated STOMP clinics where individuals with a learning disability, autism or both can be referred by a GP or other healthcare professional for their medication to be reviewed in detail. The Monkwearmouth STOMP clinic has been recognised as a national centre of excellence, and has been visited by several other NHS Trusts who are looking to develop similar processes.
STOMP is a national project managed by NHS England which aims to help people to stay well and have a good quality of life through reducing the over-use of psychotropic medicines – drugs which affect how the brain works. Find out more.
STOMP easy read guide
An easy read guide about the STOMP campaign.
STOMP project – D’s story
Read about one service user’s experience of NTW’s STOMP clinics.
Overseas pharmacist visit to the Monkwearmouth Learning Disability team – Taking STOMP international
The Monkwearmouth learning disability treatment team welcomed a visitor from Finland for two weeks in June to learn more about the role of the pharmacist in supporting people with a learning disability, autism or both to enjoy better mental health, physical well being and to receive a meaningful STOMP review of medication
Anne Halmetoja visited the learning Disability treatment team at Monkwearmouth where she spent time with several members of the team to learn about collaborative working. Anne is a pharmacist studying in Helsinki, Finland and she is the first to specialise in care home pharmacy. The main theme of Anne’s study is learning disability and care of the elderly. The university where Anne studies in Finland wanted her to go abroad to visit foreign colleagues and Anne arranged to spend 4 days with Dave Gerrard, pharmacist working within the Monkwearmouth team. She learnt how the role of pharmacy has developed to include caseload management and to deliver the STOMP agenda by challenging inappropriate medications.
While Anne has been with us she has learnt about psychotropic medications in clinical use as well as identifying ways to address problems related to their use. Anne has seen the way that the British health care system works and has learned about the Multi-disciplinary team roles and how this approach has developed. Anne is excited to develop her own role and ideas, including the learnings from Monkwearmouth, when she returns to Finland.
The Monkwearmouth team works to a holistic approach which I like. The team has a good atmosphere and everyone has been really nice and very welcoming. I like it that everybody plays an equal part within the Multi-Disciplinary team and I will use my time here to help develop a similar approach back in Helsinki
Anne Halmetoja
