The Mental Health Commission (MHC) has expressed concern after nearly half of the country’s inpatient mental health facilities were found to be in breach of regulations governing the use of psychotropic drugs last year.
Unannounced inspections of 67 registered centres during 2025 found that just 36 were fully compliant with regulations setting minimum standards for the safe ordering, prescribing, storing and administration of drugs.
The compliance rate of 53.7 per cent represents a steep drop from the previous three years, when compliance levels hovered between 73 per cent and 77.3 per cent, according to a newly published report by the MHC.
The slump followed an update to the Judgement Support Framework by the MHC, strengthening requirements for the introduction of tracking on items for High-Dose Antipsychotic Treatments (HDAT).
The annual inspections and review were introduced by the MHC following concerns that a dramatic reduction of nearly 50 per...
