Choice and medication

Probably the biggest, best and most comprehensive, independent and free website for patients, carers and professionals about choice and mental health medication

>> Now with customised access via an annual subscription! <<

Answers to at least 20 of the most commonly asked questions about 120 psychotropic drugs
Answers to at least 12 of the most commonly asked questions about 17 mental health conditions
Over 1200 separate sections
Totally clean and independent

No adverts, no pop-ups, no industry sponsorship
Meets at least 70% of the stringent IPDAS (International Patient Decision Aid Standards, BMJ 2006) criteria with another 20% being prepared, as part of the extensive development programm

Sections fully printable, including the unique comparative “Handy charts”
Excellent credentials of site and specialist pharmacist authors
Independent service user group monitoring content
Feedback system

This is the only national and credible website with this approach.

The site has sections on 17 mental health conditions:

Anxiety
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Bipolar depression
Bipolar mood disorder
Dementia and Alzheimer's disease
Depression
Eating disorders
Epilepsy
Insomnia
Mania or hypomania
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Panic disorder
Post traumatic stress disorder
Psychosis
Schizophrenia
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Social anxiety

Each condition has at least 12 questions (e.g. for depression):

What is depression?
What are the symptoms of depression?
Does anything else have the same symptoms as depression?
What causes depression?
What are the alternatives to treat depression?
What are the main medicines for depression?
Is there an easy way to compare the main medicines for depression?
I am worried about taking medicines for my depression. Are talking therapies better?
If the medication for depression is working, how long will I need to keep taking it?
If the medication for depression is not working, how long will it be before a change is considered?
How many medicines should I be taking for my symptoms of depression?
Are there any guidelines I can look at for the treatment of depression?

Each of the 120 medicines has at least 20 questions and answers:

What is (drug name) used for?
How does it work?
How should I take it?
When should I take it?
How long will it take to work?
How long will I need to keep taking it for?
Is it addictive?
Can I stop taking it suddenly?
What should I do if I forget to take a dose of it?
What sort of side-effects might occur if I am taking it?
Will it make me drowsy?
Will it cause me to put on weight?
Will it affect my sex life?
Can I drink alcohol while I am taking it?
Are there any foods or drinks that I should avoid whilst taking it?
Will it affect my other medication?
What if I want to start a family or discover I'm pregnant whilst taking it?
Will I need a blood test if i am taking it?
Can I drive while I am taking it?

Medicines covered include:

Agomelatine, alprazolam, amisulpride, amitriptyline, amoxapine, aripiprazole, atomoxetine, benperidol, benzhexol, benztropine, biperidin, bromazepam, bupropion, buspirone, caffeine, carbamazepine, chloral betaine, chloral hydrate, chlordiazepoxide, chlorpromazine, citalopram, clobazam, clomethiazole, clomipramine, clonazepam, clorazepate dipotassium, clozapine, desipramine, dexamfetamine, diazepam, diphenhydramine, donepezil, dosulepin, doxepin, droperidol, duloxetine, escitalopram, flunitrazepam, fluoxetine, flupenthixol, fluphenazine, fluphenazine decanoate, flurazepam, fluspirilene, fluvoxamine, gabapentin, galantamine, haloperidol, imipramine, isocarboxazid, lamotrigine, levomepromazine, lithium carbonate, lithium citrate, lofepramine, loprazolam, lorazepam, lormetazepam, loxapine, maprotiline, melatonin, memantine, methylphenidate, mianserin, mirtazapine, moclobemide, nitrazepam, nortriptyline, olanzapine, orphenadrine, oxazepam, oxcarbazepine, oxprenolol, paroxetine, pericyazine, perphenazine, phenelzine, phenobarbital, pimozide, phenytoin, pipothiazine decanoate, pregabalin, primidone, procyclidine, promazine, promethazine, propranolol, protriptyline, quetiapine, reboxetine, risperidone, rivastigmine, sertindole, sertraline, sodium valproate, St. John's wort, sulpiride, temazepam, tiagabine, thioridazine, tranylcypromine, trazodone, trifluoperazine, trimipramine, tryptophan, valproate semisodium, valproic acid, venlafaxine, vigabatrin, zaleplon, zolpidem, zopiclone, zotepine, zuclopenthixol, zuclopenthixol decanoate

From March 2010 we can now offer you a customised access via an annual subscription

This would offer:

Seamless and customised access to the C&M site through your own website
Your own Trust, corporate or service logo and design (even your own colours if you want) included throughout
Your own service data customised on all pages, which also prints off when any section is printed (e.g. names, addresses, e-mails, emergency phone numbers etc - for an example see www.choiceandmedication.org.uk/Norfolk-and-waveney)
Free access to your dashboard of visitor numbers, pages accessed, locations, duration of visit etc.
All your clinicians can print off information for service users at the point of consultation
Professionals can use the information with service users
And it will all look like you did it so you can take the credit!
For examples see:

Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Partnership Trust

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

How much it will cost

UK NHS Trust subscriptions to be based on the catchment area of the service e.g. for a UK Trust serving a million people, the annual subscription would be about £1750pa (€2000). There also will be an additional one-off set-up cost for customisation and conection.
UK Community pharmacist and private healthcare sector subscriptions are based on number of pharmacies or private sector sites within the organisation, the annual subscription would be approx £150 pa per site. For mainland Europe healthcare systems (private and public; price on application).
Surplus income will be reinvested in the site and gift-aided to College of Mental Health Pharmacy for educational purposes.

For a welcome pack, application form and to find out more:

e-mail dawn.price@choiceandmedication.org.uk

www.choiceandmedication.org.uk
What is your alternative?

Background:

The Choice and Medication project began in earnest at the beginning of 2005 as a NIMH-E (National Institute for Mental Health in England) project managed by Mick Collins (seconded to NIMH-E from Janssen-Cilag). Stephen Bazire was part of this project, which then became a collaboration between the UKPPG, CMHP and NIMHE. It was part-funded in 2008 by the PSI (Pharmaceutical Schizophrenia Initiative; J-C, AZ, Lilly, BMS/Otsuka), an affiliated group of the ABPI (Association of British Pharmaceutical Industries).

The motivation behind the project is the National Patient Survey, which has consistently demonstrated that many service users are not given sufficient information about their medication, specifically around purposes and side effects of medication. Rethink have also been campaigning for better and more consistent information for users of mental health services. Choice is also at the forefront of mental health policy and this includes choice of treatment (including medication). Since many mental health conditions are long term, taking medication can be a life long challenge. For these reasons informed choice around medication becomes a necessity in order that these individuals can strike the right balance to meet their personal needs.

Through extensive consultation with mental health stakeholders, predominantly service users, carers and professionals, it was decided that a web based information tool would help aid decision making for service users. It would engage them with mental health professionals when the informed discussion around medication was taking place.

Many sources of information were scrutinised and there was consensus that the Norfolk and Waveney MH Foundation Trust Pharmacy site, run by Steve Bazire on behalf of the Trust, provided the most robust and ‘user-friendly’ information source. It then became the foundation for this website. Futher sections were then written.

The website was officially launched on October 9th 2008 at the House of Commons. The mission is to make the website the most useful available resource for service users and their carers, and as a valuable educational aid for mental health professionals. The content will be driven by the IPDAS (International Patient Decision Aids Standards) consensus published in the BMJ in 2006, which outlines the required content for any such aid.