The Mental Health Commission 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, reports Breaking News.
The compliance rate of 53.7% represents a steep decline from the previous three years, when compliance levels hovered between 73% and 77.3%, according to a newly published report by the MHC.
The fall followed an update to the Judgement Support Framework by the MHC, which strengthened requirements for the introduction of tracking on items for High-Dose Antipsychotic Treatments, reports Breaking News.
The annual inspections and review were introduced by the MHC following concerns that a dramatic reduction of nearly 50% in the number of physical restraint and seclusion incidents in recent years may be linked to increased reliance on tranquilisers and other drugs.
In the latest report, the Office of the Inspector of Mental Health Services defended the standard of daily care at approved centres but expressed concern over the core inspection outcomes, reports Breaking News.
“The 2025 inspection finding of 53.7% overall compliance with Regulation 23 is of concern, but these data need to be seen in their clinical context,” it said.
“Administration of prescribed medication throughout approved centres involves very large numbers of prescription to resident administrations. The vast majority of these are appropriate, safe and uneventful,” reports Breaking News.
In response to the sharp drop in compliance, the inspector has advised the MHC to enforce mandatory revisions for 2026, making a full policy suite, internal medication safety audits, and quarterly oversight committee access minimum requirements for all registered proprietors.
The regulator has also confirmed it will take steps to establish a specific code of practice regarding the use of rapid tranquilisation in approved centres to safeguard residents’ human rights, reports Breaking News.
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