Antidepressants: new safety measures for all patients to improve communication of the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours and persistent sexual dysfunction
Read and act on the official notice on GOV.UK
In plain English, for the pharmacy team
Why is this relevant to community pharmacy
This is about antidepressants, used for depression and some other mental health problems. The notice says the way key risks are explained is changing, including warnings about suicidal thoughts and sexual dysfunction that may continue after stopping treatment. This affects staff who supply these medicines and anyone who speaks to patients when they start or change treatment.
What to tell patients
Use your professional judgement for each patient.
- If you have new or worsening suicidal thoughts, especially when you start or change the dose of an antidepressant, seek urgent medical help.
- You can call NHS 111, your local mental health crisis team, Samaritans on 116 123, or text “SHOUT” to 85258.
- Some antidepressants can cause sexual problems, and these may continue even after you stop the medicine. Speak to your healthcare professional if you are worried.
- Do not stop taking your medicine without first speaking to your healthcare professional.
- Read the patient card and the Patient Information Leaflet with your medicine.
- Report suspected side effects via the Yellow Card scheme.
What needs to be done
- Pharmacists: when starting, changing the dose, or at the next review, discuss the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours with patients taking an antidepressant.
- Pharmacists: also discuss that some antidepressants are linked with sexual dysfunction, and that symptoms may continue after stopping treatment in some cases.
- Pharmacists: advise patients to seek urgent medical attention if they have new or worsening suicidal thoughts, especially early in treatment or after a dose change.
- Pharmacists: monitor patients regularly after starting treatment, following the relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance.
- Pharmacy team: Ensure that the safety (ancillary) leaflet is given out at the first consultation for new patients or the next consultation for existing patients once it becomes available in 2027
- Pharmacy team: when the electronic patient card is available, it may be given to patients by dispensers as an interim measure.
- Pharmacists: report suspected adverse reactions to antidepressants on a Yellow Card.
- Read and act on the official GOV.UK notice.
Pharmshark summary, checked and approved by Chris Dotchin on 1 Nov 2026. It is not the official notice: always read and act on the GOV.UK notice.
How this summary was written
An AI tool drafted it from the MHRA's own notice and nothing else. A second check compared every line with the notice. Pharmshark's clinical lead then read it against the notice, edited it where needed and approved it. If the MHRA changes the notice, this summary is taken down until it has been checked again.
The MHRA's summary
New safety measures are now being implemented to improve how the risks of suicidal thoughts and behaviours and persistent sexual dysfunction are communicated to patients taking antidepressant medications.
MHRA's audience tags: Dispensing GP practices, General practice, Pain management palliation, Pharmacy, Psychiatry