Aims: In this article the author--board-member of the European Network of (ex-) Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (ENUSP)--explains, what is needed to guarantee a minimal level of involvement of users and survivors of psychiatry into issues relating to psychiatric drugs.
Methods: He reflects demands of their organisations, and compares these demands with the current involvement level. Considering the concrete circumstances in psychiatry, he reflects the risks and dangers of the administered drugs--especially the widely used neuroleptics--for example enhanced breast cancer risk in women, suicidal effects, receptor changes, tardive dyskinesia and other toxic reactions.
Results: Considering the unique situation of psychiatric patients to receive treatment in general without informed consent and in a violent way or through bullying and threat, he argues for to provide their involvement in all aspects of psychiatric drug issues--especially registration and monitoring, for example by their involvement in creating and running a suicide register. And he argues for involvement in ethics committees, licensing processes and providing guidelines and decision making about effectiveness and reimbursement of costs.
Conclusions: As first steps towards these aims he proposes independent and user-controlled research, independent and user-controlled education and independent and user-controlled information about the effects of psychiatric drugs.