About this Presentation
In healthcare, we often focus on treating symptoms rather than addressing the root cause of preventable crises. One such crisis is medication-induced suicidal thoughts, a known risk of many commonly prescribed medications for anxiety, depression, and other conditions. Yet, these risks are often not proactively discussed with patients. Using the Theory of Constraints (TOC), we identified a critical bottleneck in the prescribing process: the absence of structured, open conversations about medication side effects and safety planning. The Prescription Safe Plan (PSP) was developed as a systematic solution to this constraint; removing ambiguity, supporting clear patient-prescriber communication, and ensuring that individuals have a proactive plan in place should they experience a chemically induced suicidal crisis. Developed by Debi Roberts at The OLLIE Foundation and now available in 16 languages, PSPs are helping healthcare providers shift from reactive crisis response to proactive prevention. By integrating TOC principles, this approach ensures that resources—knowledge, awareness, and protective strategies flow more effectively to where they are needed most. This session will explore how TOC thinking led to the creation of PSPs and how similar methodologies can be applied to remove barriers, enhance patient safety, and improve outcomes in healthcare systems worldwide. 💡 Prevention starts with conversation. Let’s ensure every prescription comes with one.
What Will You Learn
To help you get the most value from this session, we’ve highlighted a few key points. These takeaways capture the main ideas and practical insights from the presentation, making it easier for you to review, reflect, and apply what you’ve learned.
The session reveals how a hidden bottleneck in healthcare isn’t medication itself, but the absence of structured conversations about risk, and how removing that constraint can prevent avoidable crises.
It shows how applying TOC thinking to the prescribing process led to the creation of the Prescription Safe Plan (PSP)—a simple but systematic safeguard that shifts care from reactive intervention to proactive protection.
You’ll discover how embedding clear communication and safety planning into routine prescribing allows knowledge and protective strategies to flow where they’re needed most—before a crisis begins.
Instructor(s)
Debi Roberts MA Ed
Debi Roberts MA Ed is recognised for her work in suicide prevention, creating novel resources and applying critical thinking approaches to intervention and prevention. As the CEO of The OLLIE Foundation, a UK-based suicide prevention charity, Debi leads initiatives to facilitate effective conversations about suicide risk and protective factors within diverse communities. She is the first person in the world to use TOC as an effective suicide intervention. With a Masters in Emotional Literacy in Educational Settings, 18 years of experience volunteering with Theory of Constraints for Education (TOCFE), and a deep understanding of emotional literacy, conflict resolution, and goal-setting, she brings a wealth of expertise to drive positive change. She set up and ran the first young person’s befriending service in two A&E Departments and has created a range of courses including a CBT Programme for CYP in Herts and a Mental Health Course for the Royal Society of Public Health Her first book, Storytelling For Better Behaviour' is published through Routledge