A pharmacy-controlled lithium clinic

Abstract

A pharmacy-run lithium clinic was set up In a district general hospital in order to save medical staff time, utilise pharmacist skills and provide an efficient lithium monitoring service. After one year the clinic was evaluated in terms of the control of serum lithium levels, the acceptability of the arrangements to the patients and the patients' knowledge of and attitude towards lithium therapy. We suggest this model of a lithium clinic could be usefully adopted In other psychiatric departments.