Whose body is it?
Your rights concerning medication: -
- The landscape of mental health treatment has changed drastically as more and better medications are developed.
- You have the right to talk to your doctor. If your doctor prescribes medication(s), you have the right to know what it is for, the expected benefits and the possible side effects, both short-term and long-term.
- You have the right to take some prescribed meds but not others. (Please note that bouncing on and off psychotropic medications is a risky business.) Other services cannot be linked to meds.
- If you experience side effects or if there are some medications you choose not to take, you have the right to inform your doctor without fear of anger.
- You may choose not to take medications unless there is a court-order otherwise. This is true even if you are in the hospital (except for certain emergency situations) or on a Community Treatment Order (CTO).
- You have the right to consent to or refuse any procedures such as psychosurgery, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT or shock treatment) or similar procedures.
- You have the right to consent to or refuse to be involved in a research project. Before you can consent, you must be informed of the nature of the research and the possible consequences. You have the right to pull out of the project at any time.
Your informed consent must be obtained before you take part in the clinical trial use of any new drug on the market.
* Some information on this page has come from the booklet "Patients' Rights - A Self-Help Guide To The Victorian Mental Health Act" produced by the Mental Health Legal Centre.
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