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Antidepressants: Quality prescribing - a guide for improvement
Benefits and impact

Please update your RDS mobile app to version 4.7.1

We are pleased to advise that deep linking capability, enabling users to directly download individual mobile toolkits, has now been released on the RDS mobile app. When you install the update, you will see that each toolkit has a small QR code icon the header area beside the search icon – see screenshot below. Clicking on this icon will open up a window with a full-size QR code and the alternative of a short URL for sharing with users. Instructions are provided.

You may need to actively install the update to install RDS app version 4.7.1 to see this improvement. Installing this update is also strongly recommended to get the full benefits of the new contingency arrangements – specifically, that if the RDS website should fail, you will still be able to download new mobile app toolkits.

To check your current RDS version, click on the three dots bottom right of the RDS app screen. This takes you to a “More” page where you will see the version number. To install latest updates:

On iPhones – go to the Apple store, click on your profile icon top right, scroll down to see the apps waiting to be updated and update the RDS app.

On Android phones – these can vary, but try going to the Google Play store, click on your profile icon top right, click on “Manage apps and device”, select and update the RDS app.

Please get in touch with ann.wales3@nhs.scot with any questions.

This advice is intended to support healthcare professionals and those that provide support to people on antidepressant treatment to facilitate the appropriate use of antidepressants. It is not intended to override other prescribing and treatment advice such as NICE, British Association for Psychopharmacology (BAP), or Scottish Government Polypharmacy guidance, which follows the principles outlined in the Realising Realistic Medicines report. It is intended to complement and add practical advice and options for tailoring care to the needs and preferences of individuals.

Antidepressants are used for a variety of conditions and are commonly prescribed for people experiencing a range of comorbidities and diseases. This guide provides a range of options for individuals and clinicians to support proactive person-centred antidepressant reviews. From antidepressant initiation to treatment follow up and cessation, it includes advice for shared treatment plans, managed reduction and discontinuation of therapy for adults using a person-centred approach using the 7-Steps process.

Benefits to the individual

Benefits to healthcare professionals

Benefits to organisations

Why is proactively reviewing antidepressants important?

Environmental impact