Questions to Discuss with Clients

  1. Name and dose of any drugs being taken.
  2. How long have these drugs been taken?
  3. How are the drugs being taken?  Regularly or intermittently?
  4. Has the client taken any drugs in the past?
  5. What problems was the client having when the drugs were first prescribed?
  6. Did the drugs help then? If so, how?
  7. What did the doctor say about how the drugs should be used and for how long?
  8. What does the client think the drugs do or are for?
  9. Are the drugs still helping? If so, how?
  10. Does the client still have the problem that the drugs were prescribed for, or do they have different problems?
  11. Has the client sought any other help where drugs might have been prescribed?
  12. Has the client ever reduced or stopped taking their drugs? What happened?
  13. What effects does the client notice the drugs have? Physical? Psychological?
  14. Do the drugs affect the client’s thinking, concentration or memory?
  15. Do the drugs affect the client’s ability to feel emotions or express them?
  16. Do the drugs affect the client’s behaviour or relationships with others?
  17. What are the advantages of taking the drugs?
  18. What are the disadvantages of taking the drugs?
  19. Has the client informed the prescriber that they are seeking therapy? What did he/she say?
  20. Has the client discussed their drug use with the prescriber recently? What did he/she say?