Improving Staff Knowledge and Confidence in Lithium Counselling to Enhance Patient Safety and Standardise Practice Across Community Mental Health Teams

Aims: The 2019–20 Community Pharmacy Quality Scheme audit concluded 34% of audited patients were unfamiliar with lithium toxicity symptoms, where 29% were unaware of how to prevent it, highlighting the gap in effective patient education. Our preliminary research revealed that 50% of medical professi...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ella Bauwens, Nazim Zaim, Yousof Osman, Khyati Patel, Nirvana Islam
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2025-06-01
Series:BJPsych Open
Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472425103402/type/journal_article
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Summary:Aims: The 2019–20 Community Pharmacy Quality Scheme audit concluded 34% of audited patients were unfamiliar with lithium toxicity symptoms, where 29% were unaware of how to prevent it, highlighting the gap in effective patient education. Our preliminary research revealed that 50% of medical professionals lacked confidence in providing lithium counselling with 41% being either unaware or unsure of how to counsel a patient if they had missed a dose. Therefore, we aim to tackle staff knowledge and improve abilities in lithium counselling to enhance patient safety and understanding, ultimately leading to fewer incidences of toxicity and harm.
ISSN:2056-4724