Side effects

Experiencing side effects is the most likely reason that someone will stop taking their medicine (see Table 1).

When starting treatment, most people will experience at least one side-effect but most will improve in the early days and weeks. This is why advising on how to manage side effects through a service such as the NMS can have such a big impact.

When the prescription is first dispensed, using the patient information leaflet and pointing out the key sections is a powerful way of focusing brief conversations. If the conversation is to also serve as the engagement stage of the NMS, the person should be advised as such and consented.

Table 1: Common SSRI side effects, likely duration and management strategies