A Rapid Mapping Review of Medication Burden in Adults with an Intellectual Disability: What We Know and What We Do Not Know

This study asked the questions: what is known and what is not known about medication burden in adults with an intellectual disability. We used a rapid mapping review methodology to collate, describe and catalog the wide variety of evidence in this area. Ninety-one studies were included. Study characteristics, indicators of medication burden and sub-populations at increased risk were catalogued in a table and tabulated as tree maps. The authors concluded that there is evidence of a high medication burden in this population, and that the burden is highest in older adults with an ID, those living in supervised housing and those with diagnosed comorbidities and multi-morbidities. Areas that need further exploration are the total burden of medications used, including the age at which medications are first prescribed and the duration of medication use; the long-term effects of a high medication burden; and the long-term effects of anticholinergic burden. In addition, there is little information on the effects of demographic factors such as race and income.