The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) hosted a lecture by Professor Lynn Crismon entitled ‘Psychotropic medication use in foster children and youth' in the Albert lecture theatre yesterday evening to an audience of medical professionals, psychologists and pharmacists. Professor Lynn Crismon is Dean, James T. Doluisio Regents Chair and Behrens Centennial Professor at the University of Texas College of Pharmacy.

The lecture gave an overview of the issues addressing the use of psychotropic medication in US foster children and discussed the actions taken by the State of Texas to reduce the use of such medication amongst this group, and provide a description of the new Texas Psychotropic Medication Utilization Parameters for Foster Children and Youth.

Professor Crismon said: "In the United States, the use of psychotropic medication in children, in particular foster children, who are a vulnerable population group that are often fraught with mental or psychiatric disorders, has come under a lot of scrutiny. The introduction of state-wide psychotropic medication usage limits and a prospective monitoring program for foster children has been associated with a decrease in the use of psychotropic medication and a decrease in polypharmacy."

Professor Paul Gallagher, Head of the School of Pharmacy, said: "We are delighted to have Professor Crismon give this lecture. It is apparent from research undertaken at the Health Promotion Research Centre at the National University of Ireland, Galway that children in care in Ireland report experiencing negative health and well-being outcomes in comparison to children who are not in care. In particular children in care are more likely to participate in risk behaviours and have poorer social relationships. There is little published evidence in Ireland on psychotropic medication use for children in care and so Professor Crismon's presentation is important at a national level as we learn from the experience of the United States of America in order to effect an improved model of service delivery for this vulnerable cohort of our society."

Professor Crismon is Dean, James T. Doluisio Regents Chair and Behrens Centennial Professor at The University of Texas College of Pharmacy. He teaches in the clinical psychopharmacology courses for Psychiatry Residency Programmes at UT Southwestern. Professor Crimson has served as a visiting professor for the Institute of Mental Health, National Health Group, Singapore and for the pharmacy programme at the University of Technology, Kingston, Jamaica. His research, scholarship and practice focus on the development and evaluation of strategies to improve the pharmacotherapy, pharmaeconomics and health outcomes of adults and children with severe mental disorders.