Patients and families deserve clear, accessible information about medication risks. Today the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has announced new measures to strengthen communication about antidepressant risks. They include the risks of suicidal thoughts and behaviors and sexual dysfunction that may persist even after treatment ends.

The measures include a boxed warning in patient information leaflets, a new patient safety card, and updated wording about persistent sexual side effects for certain antidepressants. An additional safety leaflet explaining benefits, risks, and alternatives is planned for 2027.

These measures address existing risks—not newly discovered ones. For MISSD, they underscore why fully informed consent and listening to patients’ experiences matter.

Read the MHRA announcement at: https://www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update/antidepressants-new-safety-measures-for-all-patients-to-improve-communication-of-the-risk-of-suicidal-thoughts-and-behaviours-and-persistent-sexual-dysfunction.