20 Min
In Pharmacy CPD Modules
CPD modules help to expand your clinical knowledge on a whole range of topics. Make sure you log your learning so you can track your progress and add to your online revalidation record.
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Introduction & module overview
This module covers consultations with patients who have a first prescription for antidepressants.
It explains how to prepare for an antidepressant counselling session, how to structure the consultation and how to recognise common issues patients may experience when starting antidepressant treatment including possible side-effects.
It also explores the types of questions pharmacists can ask patients to determine how effective or well tolerated their antidepressant treatment is, how to finish a consultation and when to escalate concerns regarding patient risk.
The focus of this module is on consultations when an antidepressant is being taken for the first time or when there has been a change in treatment (a dose change or new antidepressant prescribed for the first time).
The structure of this module is as follows:
- Pre-consultation: Covers potential concerns the patient may have and a reminder of key treatments for depression
- Starting the consultation: Includes exploration of the patient’s existing knowledge
- Questions to ask during the consultation: Incorporates tips you can provide to the patient
- Ending the consultation: Useful prompts to help you check the patient’s understanding, as well as signposting to related resources.
Contributing authors: Louisa Marchant-Rutherford MPharm, independent prescriber for older adults, lead pharmacist for inpatients, and Ami Hale MPharm, independent prescriber, lead pharmacist for community mental health services, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
