Welcome to Choice and Medication for Hunter New England Local Health District
This website provides information about medications used in mental health conditions. It is updated and maintained by health care professionals, and receives no funding from drug companies. It is for patients, consumers, carers and health professionals in the Hunter New England Local Health District.
This initiative is supported by funding from Hunter New England Mental Health. Hunter New England Local Health District is committed to Closing the Gap.
The website has:
Information Leaflets:
- The ‘PILL’ (Patient Information Leaflet) – this is the standard leaflet
- The ‘BILL’ (Basic Information Leaflet) – a shorter, one page, version of the PILL with slightly larger print
- The ‘BILL XL – The same as the BILL but in extra-large print
- The ‘QuILL’ (Quick Information Leaflet) – aimed at younger people. Contains images to highlight the important components within the leaflets, especially handy for those who may have difficulty with literacy
- Information leaflets in a selection of other languages also see Transcultural Mental Health Centre Mental Health Medication Information Leaflets
Handy Charts:
These help you compare medications for a mental health condition to each other. These are available for most conditions and cross-reference medications with the side-effects that may be experienced. The Handy Charts also detail:
- How the medications work
- How long they take to work
- The usual doses, and
- How long the medications should be taken for
Handy Guides and Fact Sheets:
These provide information and advice about a variety of topics as such weight gain, metabolic changes, the effects of smoking and purchasing medicine over the internet.
Other Links and Useful Phone Numbers:
NSW Health | Hunter New England Mental Health
Aboriginal Health Unit HNE LHD |
Indigenous Mental Health | Didja Know: Aboriginal Cultural Communication booklet produced by HNELHD for health care professionals
Australian Indigenout HealthInfoNet Tucker Talk Tips – information sheets on healthy eating and physical activities, for adults and kids. Produced by Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation Inc. |
App to manage your medications | Medicineslist Smartphone App |
Medicines Information Line
Mental Health Line
Mental Health Medications in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding |
NPS Medicines Information Line
1300 MEDICINE (1300 633 424) Monday to Friday – 9 to 5 1800 011 511 24-hour mental health telephone access service. If in a life threatening situation please call 000 to receive immediate help
Phone: 1800 647 848 |
Other support organisations with information about mental illness | Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
Mindhealthconnect – Mental Health and Wellbeing |
Other | Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme online
Consumer Medicines Information leaflets via the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration – the group that register medicines for use in Australia) Australian Dietary Guidelines and healthy eating resource – Eat For Health Australia’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines from Australian Government Department of Health |
Mental Health Medication information for teenagers | Head Meds (note this is a United Kingdom based site) |
Other languages | Transcultural Mental Health Centre
Mental Health Medication Information Leaflets Transcultural Mental Health Centre Other Multilingual Mental Health resources See also individual leaflets within this website for a range of leaflets in other languages |
Intellectual Delay | Easy Health (note this is a United Kingdom based site)
Learning Disability Medication Guideline Birmingham University (note this is a United Kingdom based site) Learning Disabilities easy read medicines information leaflets for behaviour problems from Birmingham University (note this is a United Kingdom based site) |
Choice and Medication for Hunter New England Local Health District
http://www.hnehealth.nsw.gov.au/mh/Pages/Mental-Health.aspx
Penelope Maxwell - Specialist Clinical Pharmacist Mental Health
Penelope.Maxwell@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au