Regardless of age, it is important that all patients understand the medicines they are being offered and the risks and benefits of them. Pharmacy professionals are in an ideal position to help people make informed decisions about their treatment. They should:

• Communicate these risks and benefits in a way that is meaningful to the patient
• Be aware of the non-medical treatment and have a range of easy-to-read leaflets to discuss with patients when necessary
• Discuss side effects with the patient, e.g. Parkinsonian effects when taking first generation antipsychotics (haloperidol) or potential weight gain when taking a second generation antipsychotic (olanzapine)
• Explore the most appropriate times to take medicines: sedative medicines can be taken at night to help sleep, alerting medicines can be taken in the morning
• Consider if there any interactions with over-the-counter medicines the patient may have bought. For example, St John’s wort can interact with many medicines altering their plasma concentration, and ibuprofen can increase the risk of lithium toxicity.

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