Pharmacies urged to up-skill staff

COMMUNITY pharmacists need to ensure all staff in their stores are trained to support patients with mental health issues, University of Sydney Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, Dr Claire O’Reilly, believes.

Speaking at the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s (PSA’s) annual conference, PSA19 , in Sydney on Sat, Dr O’Reilly, told delegates that the profession had a critical role to play in suicide prevention and supporting patients.

O’Reilly noted that one-in-two Australians will experience a mental illness during their lifetime, however, “only 35% of people are actually seeking professional help”.

“When we look at the pharmacist’s place in mental health there’s been an increasing growth in recognition of the pharmacist’s role,” she said.

“Given the fact that two-thirds of people [with a mental health condition] are not seeking help... it’s really important that we up-skill the workforce in pharmacy.”

O’Reilly highlighted the importance of mental health first aid, relayed an anecdote about a patient who went into a pharmacy and spoke to a pharmacy assistant (PA) who had completed training.

The PA took the patient to speak to the pharmacist, and they discovered that the patient had everything she needed to suicide in her garage, instead the pharmacy staff were able to help and she was with her GP within an hour of coming into the store.

“There’s very little data about the pharmacist’s role in suicide prevention, yet we know that medications are really common in self-harm,” she said.

“Pharmacists are inextricably linked to medicines that cause harm... in mental health your contribution could make a real difference.”