Media contributions
1Media contributions
Title ‘Practical steps’ to manage psychotropic side effects Degree of recognition National Media name/outlet NewsGP Media type Web Country/Territory Australia Date 15/08/25 Description Patients taking the medications need improved ‘holistic’ care to better manage potential physical side effects, research suggests...
RACGP Expert Committee – Quality Care Chair Professor Mark Morgan welcomes the calls to monitor for risks before starting patients on psychoactive medication and for side effects after medication is started.
‘GPs are ideally placed and skilled to manage physical risks for people taking psychoactive medications,’ he told newsGP.
‘In general practice, prescribing alerts can act as a timely reminder to monitor physical health when medications such as antipsychotics are prescribed.’
Professor Morgan says the UQ study’s findings are important because people with severe mental illness are at higher risk of dying early from other disease.
‘This excess mortality is mostly due to physical health conditions, particularly cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, respiratory disease,’ he said.
‘The reasons for these physical conditions include side effects of mental health medication, much higher smoking rates, and challenges engaging with preventive healthcare and lifestyle interventions...
Professor Morgan also pointed to the Being Equally Well Roadmap which recommends guidelines and protocols to address physical risk factors when medications are commenced.
‘Patients being treated for complex or severe conditions should be actively co-managed with their usual GP to ensure other comorbidities and preventive health needs continue to be met,’ he said.
‘Higher patient rebates for long consultations would certainly help in this endeavour. Also, there should be acceptance by Medicare that it is the norm for a mental health consult to include physical health and preventive components.
‘Vulnerable populations such as those people with mental illness would benefit from funded annual health assessments to address a combination of preventive health needs in funded consults that enable planned, proactive and team-based care.’
‘There are also some biological mechanisms associated with severe mental illness that contribute directly to cardiovascular risk.’Producer/Author Morgan Liotta URL https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/practical-steps-to-manage-psychotropic-side-effect Persons Mark Morgan