Example CPD reflection
Example CPD reflection
“I have been a pharmacy owner for five years and keen to get involved in providing each new clinical service. When it was announced that depression was going to be included in the New Medicine Service, I was interested and a bit apprehensive at the same time.
Over the years, I’ve known friends and family members to have depression and they’ve reacted to it in different ways. I can usually recognise it and have learned how to find out whether they want to talk about it or not. To get myself and my team ready, I asked who would be interested in being a champion for the service.
We agreed that this team member would find out various things, such as what we could recommend to people locally in the way of exercise, befriending services and other relevant resources, and what we would need to do if someone was in crisis and we needed to get help for them. She made a chart showing the relevant people, places and contacts.
I got in touch with our two nearest GP surgeries and asked if I could come to a practice meeting with a 10-minute slot once it was clear what the service was going to be and when it would start.
Being at the practice meeting was useful because we were able to talk about how and when the GPs see or speak to patients when an antidepressant is started.
This preparation was about working in partnership with my own team, and with healthcare professionals and other organisations outside the pharmacy.”
Lifestyle and support resources
It is important always to bear in mind that antidepressant medications are most effective when they are used alongside non-pharmaceutical interventions:
- Peer support: a good starting point is Mind’s Side by Side, a supportive online community where people can share their mental health experiences (sidebyside.mind.org.uk)
- Guided self-help: the Reading Well scheme offers Books on Prescription through most libraries, including in electronic form; resources are also available from Overcome (overcome.org.uk) and Moodgym (moodgym.com.au)
- Exercise: can boost mood but needs to be enjoyable to be effective and sustainable. Exercising at home using free videos from YouTube.com or FitnessBlender.com will be preferred by some, while others like to be outdoors; people can do the NHS Couch to 5K programme on their own, while walking groups such as those run by the Ramblers add a social aspect
- Projects like Green Gyms, where people undertake practical and purposeful physical activities such as planting trees and community gardening, are good for those who want to get out and meet people
- Eating well: some people with depression find they eat for comfort and gain weight, while others lose their appetite. The British Nutrition Foundation (nutrition.org.uk) has a blog on the link between diet and depression. Useful advice is also available from Mind (mind.org.uk)
- Sleeping well: can be another challenge but is important. Consider the whole day, not just bedtime routine (e.g. exposure to daylight in the morning). Visit: thesleepcharity.org.uk
- Practising kindness: both inwardly and outwardly, whether by engaging in hobbies, seeing friends, volunteering or helping others, can act as a distraction and foster a positive mindset
- Understanding the condition: can help to break taboos and empower people to find the energy to navigate their way through their illness and its management. There are many good resources available, including from Mind, the Mental Health Foundation (mentalhealth.org.uk) and the NHS.
Pharmacist resources
- hexi.ox.ac.uk: insights into patient experiences of taking an antidepressant for the first time
- Choiceandmedication.org: answers to questions about 170 psychotropic drugs and 22 mental health conditions, as well as printable patient resources including translations, fact sheets, handy charts and a booklet on how medicines work.