Medication

Medication can help people with mental health issues cope better, and benefit from other treatment.

If you are a patient, you will receive both a  Choice and Medication leaflet about your medication and a  manufacturer patient information leaflet Please read both.

Choice and Medication includes easy read, large print and translated leaflets

The medication that has been approved by our Drug and Therapeutic Committee is listed in our  Medicines Formulary

To find out more about your medication speak to your health professional. You can also visit these websites:

• HeadMeds - information for young people
• Mind - mental health charity
• Rethink Mental Illness - mental health charity
• The NHS website includes advice for if you are if you are pregnant or breastfeeding

Side effects

Most side effects are manageable. Occasionally they are severe and very rarely they can be life-threatening.

If you think you or the person you care for is having a severe reaction to their medication:

• call your mental health team and ask to speak to the duty doctor. If you don’t have the team number, call the trust switchboard on 020 3228 6000
• call the South London and Maudsley 24 hour crisis line on 0800 731 2864 (Option 1)
• call the NHS helpline on 111, they can connect you to a suitable healthcare professional and call an ambulance if necessary

Information for healthcare professionals

Advice line - healthcare professionals can call the Maudsley Pharmacy for specialist advice on prescribing: 020 3228 2317

The Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines in Psychiatry

We support STOMP

STOMP stands for Stopping Over Medication of People with a learning disability, autism or both with psychotropic medicines.

We have signed up to the STOMP pledge which means we will improve the use of psychotropic medicine, offer non-drug therapies and make sure our service users, families and staff are fully informed and involved.

Remember:

• Your medicine might be right for you – you might need to take it to stay well.
• Do not stop taking your medicine or change your dose without talking to your doctor.

To find out more speak to your health professional, read the STOMP easy read leaflet or visit the NHS England STOMP pages

For easy read medication leaflets visit Choice and Medication, scroll to the bottom of the page, select your medication and then the leaflet type VERA (Very Easy Read).