Services Database New Medicine Service (NMS) for Adult Patients Receiving Antidepressants for a Newly Diagnosed Episode of Depression (Plymouth Area)

During May-June 2014 Healthy Living Pharmacies (HPLs) in Plymouth piloted a New Medicine Service (NMS) – mental health intervention for patients starting antidepressants. 

The aim of the service was to provide adult patients (aged 18 years and older) with a newly diagnosed episode of depression an opportunity to discuss their medication and address patient and professional concerns surrounding the early treatment of depression from both a pharmacotherapy and psychosocial perspective.

The service allowed for up to 100 "NMS-type" complete reviews to be undertaken between 1 May and 30 June 2014.

As a minimum mandatory requirement the pharmacists who participated in this scheme had to complete:

•  CPPE 1 hour training course (41988) “The management of depression in the community pharmacy”. Pharmacy technicians, pre-registration pharmacist trainees and CPPE registrants were also advised that they could complete this one hour e-lecture.
• Face-to-face training event on mental health. HLPs could nominate up to three people to attend this event.

Pharmacists were also advised to consider completing the CPPE 15 hour distance learning training course mental health disorders in relation to pharmacy practice (38661). Although not a mandatory requirement, pharmacists were advised that they would find this a useful complement to support their understanding of common mental health presentations.

Plymouth MIND and Plymouth Community Healthcare (PCH) were also able to provide a comprehensive suite of training, which may have been of interest to the pharmacy team with a local perspective.