Evaluating the Utility of a Statewide Pharmacist-Led Psychotropic Medicines Information Service: A Mixed-Methods...

Psychotropic medicines are essential in managing mental illness but are associated with complex challenges, including off-label use, polypharmacy, drug interactions, adverse effects, and diverse safety profiles. Effective decision-making requires access to reliable, evidence-based, and context-specific medicines information. Medicines Information (MI) services, particularly those led by pharmacists, provide tailored, evidence-informed advice that supports safe prescribing and optimises patient outcomes.This study aimed to evaluate the Psychotropic Drug Advisory Service (PDAS) at Alfred Health, a statewide pharmacist-led clinical advisory service. The evaluation sought to (a) determine the impact of advice on patient care, clinical outcomes, and medication safety; (b) assess the usefulness of advice and its uptake by enquirers; and (c) explore user experiences and satisfaction to inform future service development.A mixed-methods service evaluation was conducted. Quantitative data were collected through a retrospective audit of all enquiries recorded over a 12-month period (January-December 2024). Qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews conducted between March and August 2025 with a total of 17 clinicians, consumers, and carers who had accessed PDAS during the evaluation period. Interviews explored perceptions of service utility, impact on clinical decision-making, and areas for improvement, and were thematically analysed.PDAS responded to 266 enquiries over the 12-month evaluation period, with enquiries originating from a broad range of clinicians, consumers, and carers across primary, secondary, and community care. Enquiries frequently involved complex psychotropic decision-making; most commonly relating to administration and dosage, choice of medication, adverse effects, drug-drug interactions, and antipsychotic or antidepressant use. Most enquiries were addressed promptly, with the majority receiving an initial response within one hour. Qualitative analysis identified four key themes: enhancing confidence in clinical decision-making, improving access to specialist psychotropic advice, facilitating collaborative problem solving, and delivering credible, evidence-based guidance; highlighting PDAS's role as a trusted, accessible, and specialist support service within complex mental health settings. These findings support the utility of a statewide, pharmacist-led psychotropic medicines information service as an important component of contemporary mental health systems, particularly in settings characterised by clinical complexity and/or limited access to specialist expertise.