Use Of Psychotropic Drugs In Youth Prisons Faulted

DENVER (AP) - Colorado doesn't properly oversee the administration of powerful psychotropic medication to youths in corrections facilities. That's according to a state audit released Tuesday.

The report sampled the medical records of 60 youth offenders and found that in 57 of those cases they were prescribed psychotropic medication. Auditors said there wasn't proper medical record keeping for the patients. In 13 cases, there was no evidence that medical staff obtained consent for treatment with psychotropic medications.

The Denver Post reports that auditors recommended a new system for oversight of medication prescribing for those in youth corrections and stronger consent policies for the agency's use of psychotropic medication.

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