Nurse-led medicines monitoring: a study examining the effects of the West Wales Adverse Drug Reaction Profile.

Aim The physical health of people with mental health conditions is often suboptimal, and in many cases this may be related to their prescription medicines. One issue is that patients are monitored inconsistently for adverse drug reactions (ADRs). The aim of this study was to explore whether the nurse-led West Wales Adverse Drug Reaction (WWADR) Profile for Mental Health Medicines could improve recognition and management of ADRs in a crisis resolution home treatment service. Method The WWADR Profile was implemented in addition to usual care, in a one-group 'before and after' comparison study (n=20). The study took place from October to November 2013. Results The WWADR Profile identified previously unreported physical health problems for all participants in the study, including two potentially life-threatening conditions: cardiac arrhythmia, chest pain plus breathlessness, and valproate-induced pancreatitis. In total, four participants' medicines were discontinued, three were referred to a consultant psychiatrist, three were referred to GPs, one was referred to an electrocardiogram technician and one was referred to a dentist. Previously overlooked health promotion issues were also recognised. Conclusion The WWADR Profile identified several physical health problems that had been overlooked previously. Therefore, it might be beneficial to use the WWADR Profile in routine mental health practice.