Medication advice and support

Our pharmacy team can help you understand and manage your mental health medicines. Whether you have questions about how to take your medicine, possible side effects or interactions with other medicines, there is support available.

Medicines Helpline

If you are a patient with us, or care for someone using our services, you can speak to one of our specialist mental health pharmacists for advice and information about medicines.

They can help with:

  • understanding your medicines and how to take them
  • possible side effects and interactions
  • questions or concerns about your medicines.

Call 020 3513 6829, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays), or contact the team using the Patient and Carers Medicines Information Form at the end of this page.

MindMeds

MindMeds is our free app to help you manage your medicines and wellbeing. You can use it to:

  • set reminders for medicines and appointments
  • monitor your mood and symptoms
  • keep track of health information and results.

The app is available to download on Apple and Android devices.

Choice and Medication

For clear information about mental health conditions and treatments, visit our Choice and Medication website.

You can find information about:

  • mental health conditions
  • medicines, including their benefits and possible side effects
  • frequently asked questions.

Understanding your medicines

We want you to feel informed, supported and involved in decisions about your medicines. Find out what to expect when talking to us about your medicines and how we work to make sure medicines are used safely and effectively.

Talking about your medicines

We want conversations about your medicines to feel positive, supportive and focused on what matters to you. That’s why we worked with patients and carers to understand what they need and value when talking about medicines.

Together, we agreed that good conversations about medicines should:

  • Listen to you and take your experiences and concerns seriously.
  • Give you clear information about why a medicine is being recommended, including its benefits, risks and possible side effects.
  • Give you choices, including talking about other treatment options where appropriate.
  • Focus on you as a whole person, including your recovery goals, daily life and what matters to you.
  • Give you time to ask questions, think about your options and involve someone you trust if you would like to.
  • Work with you to review your medicines and find an approach that works for you.


What might a positive conversation sound like?

You might hear questions such as:

“Are there any concerns about your medicines that you would like to talk about?”

“Let’s talk about your recovery goals and how medicines could support them.”

“This is how we think this medicine could help you. What are your views?”

“Are you experiencing any side effects, and how are they affecting you?”

These conversations are about working together, so that you have the information and support you need to be involved in decisions about your health and recovery.

 

How we make decisions about medicines

Through the work of our Drugs and Therapeutics Committee, we help make sure medicines used across our Trust are safe, effective and based on the latest evidence and guidance.

The committee brings together patients, carers, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals. Together, they use clinical expertise and the experiences of patients and carers to make informed decisions about medicines and improve care.

The committee:

  • reviews the safety and effectiveness of medicines
  • recommends which medicines should be available for routine use
  • considers requests for medicines that are not routinely available
  • reviews and approves guidance for healthcare professionals
  • uses feedback, audits and improvement work to make medicines safer and improve care.

If a medicine is not routinely available, the committee considers the evidence and the person’s individual clinical needs before a decision is made.

The committee’s work in 2025-26:

During the year, the committee:

  • reviewed 186 requests for medicines that were not routinely available, approving 143
  • approved updates to 17 medicines-related policies, procedures and guidelines
  • supported new treatment options, including bupropion for treatment-resistant depression and guanfacine for adults with ADHD
  • supported the introduction of take-home naloxone, which can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose in an emergency
  • improved guidance and information to support people to make informed decisions about their medicines
  • used learning from audits and improvement projects to make medicines safer and help reduce inequalities.

Further information and resources

  • NHS Medicines A-Z — find out how your medicine works, how to take it and possible side effects.
  • Choice and Medication — find information about mental health conditions, treatments and medicines, including their benefits and possible side effects. This website is only for patients and carers under the care of our services.
  • Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) — find information about medicines, including how to take them, possible side effects and safety information.
  • MHRA Yellow Card — allows patients and carers to report suspected side effects or problems with medicines and medical devices.

Pharmacy services feedback form

Your feedback helps us improve our pharmacy services. If you’re a patient or carer, please use the form below to tell us about your experience or share any suggestions.

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