Northern Territory Mental Health Service

Welcome to Northern Territory Mental Health Service

NORTHERN TERRIRTORY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE:
This webpage has been developed to provide accurate, independent and evidence based information on psychotropic (mental health) medications. It is available to proactively support staff, consumers and carers who are a part of the Northern Territory Mental Health Service (NTMHS).

The NTMHS provides resources to help consumers to be involved in the best decisions about medicines and treatment options. Consumers need to have easily accessible and understandable information to help them make informed choices about their treatment in collaboration with their health care providers.

To use medications safely and effectively consumers need to know how to take medicines correctly. This includes knowing what effects to expect from their medicines, when to expect the results, how to monitor effects, what to do if the treatment does not work as expected and what to do if a an unexpected effect occurs.

To support consumers the NTMHS and the Royal Darwin Hospital Pharmacy Department has made available psychotropic medication information leaflets about medication treatment options, benefits and associated risks. The information is available in the following formats:

Psychotropic Medication Leaflets:

  • The ‘PILL’ (Patient Information Leaflet) – this is the standard leaflet
  • The ‘BILL’ (Basic Information Leaflet) – a shorter version (one page) of the PILL with slightly larger print
  • The ‘QuILL’ (Quick Information Leaflet) – contains images to highlight the important components within the leaflets, especially handy for those with English as a second language or those with literacy difficulties

Handy Charts:
These are available for most conditions and cross-reference medications with the side-effects that may be experienced. The handy charts also detail:

  • How the medication works
  • How long they take to work
  • The usual doses, and;
  • How long the medications should be taken for

Handy Guides and Fact Sheets:
These provide information and advice about a variety of topics such as metabolic changes (e.g. weight gain, high cholesterol, diabetes), in addition to the effects of smoking and issues associated with purchasing medication over the internet.

This initiative is supported by the Northern Territory Drugs and Therapeutics Committee and the Top End Medication Safety and Quality Working group.

Providing consumer specific information about medication and treatment options is identified within the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards 2011 and the National Standards for Mental Health Services 2010.

Pharmacy Contact Details:
Northern Territory Mental Health Pharmacist
c/o Tamarind Centre
PO Box 140, Parap
Northern Territory 0804

Phone: 8999 4899

Northern Territory Mental Health Service
c/o Tamarind Centre
PO Box 140
Parap
Northern Territory 0804
http://www.nt.gov.au/

CRISIS ASSESSMENT TREATMENT TEAM (24 hours)
1800 68 22 88