Medicines management and the mental health nurse

This chapter discusses the concept of medicines management. It explains the role of the mental health nurse in facilitating effective medicines management for service users. Medicines management refers to a wide variety of activities that encompass the choice, acquisition, use and review of medicines, so that they are used for optimal safety and efficacy. Medicines are a widely used treatment for mental illness and disorder. All nurses in the UK are required to meet their licensing body’s standards for medicines management. Although they previously concentrated on administration, where the nurses’ role traditionally began and ended, the guidelines on competence in medicines management cover a much broader area. Medicines management is a complex process, and the administration of medicine is equally complex in its own right. The Nursing and Midwifery Council concentrates on administration issues particularly in its standards for medicines management, underlining how pivotal a role this is for nurses in the whole process.