If you’ve worked at a dispensary, be it in a government or a community setting you would know that the patients or customers (the term patient(s) will be used henceforth for convenience sake but the context applies to both parties) rely so much on the dispenser a.k.a the pharmacist to relay any and all information that they may need to know about any product but most importantly, about any medication that they will be taking. 

Of course, there is no denying the fact that for each medication, there may be more than a couple things that need to be highlighted to said patient. However, because of how fast-paced everything is nowadays, we tend to emphasise the key points to get the message across to the patients. Ideally, these work in the favour of both the messenger and receiver.

For example, for statins we counsel patients to take their dose at night and advise that muscle aches are a possible side effect of consuming the medication. Should they experience muscle aches that are affecting their daily routine, we advise them to consult the doctor at the soonest. Or for ACE inhibitors like Perindopril, patients are forewarned that dry tickly cough is a common side effect and that the medication should be administered before food. Now these two medications mentioned are quite commonly encountered as part of a patient’s chronic medication regime for dyslipidemia and hypertension respectively. But what happens when you’re suddenly expected to counsel patients for the medications that they are taking for their depression, anxiety or mood disorders among many others.

While pharmacists these days frequently come across patients on medications for their mental health disorders, very few of us are able to deliver counselling points that are of relevance to the patients. So here’s some pointers on how you can get the message across to the patient in their road to getting better because it really is the least you could do. It’s already tough enough that the patients are going through a rough patch in their life. What’s worse is if they are told to start taking some medications that apparently help them get better blindly, with no sort of explanation whatsoever. 

These are some key points that you can convey to the patients on psychiatric medications. (Keep in mind that these are not an exhaustive list of the counselling points)

A very general principle when counselling for any medication is to engage the patient in a sort of conversation/discussion. I say ‘sort of’ because I am fully aware of the fact that this is unlikely to happen should it be a day where you’ve got a long line of patients waiting. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that the patient understands the reason he/she is taking the medication and the expected outcomes. This will improve their adherence to the medications. 

Stray away from jargons and terminologies that may scare the patients. Instead, use layman terms to get your points across. Remember, our intention is to educate the patient, not to have a sad one-sided conversation where we merely instruct the patient on how to take the medication.

Now, with that out of the way, let’s dive into some of the points you can share with the patients. (Again, this is very generalised information unless stated otherwise.)

1.Antidepressants

2. Antipsychotic drugs

3. Anti-anxiety drugs

4. Hypnotic drugs

5. Mood stabilisers

This information is merely a drop in the vast ocean. Nevertheless, they are meant to guide the patients and reassure them when they are told to take a supposed medication that will help them in one way or another.

Be mindful that as pharmacists, we aren’t supposed to be merely stating facts when counselling the patient. Addressing any concerns and questions as well as being able to discuss any psychiatric symptoms or adverse effects with the patient is the ideal pharmacist’s role. You never know, this medication counselling that the patient receives, may support their treatment journey positively. And in the long run, that’s what all of us want, isn’t it? To help those in need, even if it’s the least we could do.

References

1. Stimmel, G. (2015) Counseling Patients on Medication For Adult Psychiatric Disorders. Available at: https://www.ncpa.co/issues/APOCT15-CE.pdf (Accessed: 2 November 2023).
2. ‌“Antidepressants: 10 Things You Should Know.” NPS MedicineWise, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, 27 Apr. 2022, www.nps.org.au/consumers/antidepressants-10-things-you-should-know.