Mental health disorders have become a growing burden for patients and communities worldwide, and often require a team of clinicians with varied skills to provide support, build patient trust, and offer expert advice.

Sometimes addressing or maintaining good mental health requires lifestyle, nutraceutical, or pharmaceutical interventions. Often it takes a team of clinicians with varied skills to create sustainable balance through continued support, trust, and expert advice. This holistic approach addresses a person’s diverse needs, develops necessary self-care skills, and has the highest rates of success in achieving physical and mental well-being.

Among those caregivers who are integral to helping patients struggling with mental illness are community pharmacists.

Pharmacy 777 pharmacist Negar Almassi will present at the Western Australian Mental Health Conference 2022 on the topic, “Is your pharmacist part of your health care team?” The conference, which is being held on 7th and 8th November, explores practical implications of mental health and wellbeing support in workplace and community settings. 

The conference brings together a cross-section of experts in mental health including people working in clinical, community, corporate, government, not-for-profit and academic settings. It also includes the voices of those who have living experience with mental illness.

Supporting the continuum of care

As part of the patient’s care team, community pharmacists help to ensure medication safety across the continuum of care. Pharmacists can educate patients about medications to improve adherence, help to flag mental health conditions early on through observation and screening, provide resources and referrals for patients who may need them, and work together with the patient’s GP and other health care professionals. 

Medication review services and other pharmacist-led interventions can help to reduce inappropriate use of medicines.

Pharmacists also support and encourage the inclusion of lifestyle measures which can improve treatment outcomes. 

“At Pharmacy 777, we believe that every individual’s story is unique, and therefore any approach that is taken to achieve a health outcome should be personalised,” Negar says. “Many of our pharmacists are trained in Mental Health First Aid and our practice model focuses on empowering patients with respect to their unique circumstances.”

Pharmacy 777 pharmacists aim to facilitate appropriate use of medicines for patients and collaborate with prescribers and other members of the care team to improve communication and facilitate good health outcomes. Our pharmacists strive to build rapport, create lasting relationships, and provide a choice of services to suit individual needs by working closely with patients and carers. 

One of the many benefits properly trained community pharmacists provide is accessibility. Pharmacists typically see patients more than any other healthcare professional, particularly if those individuals have ongoing prescriptions. Where appropriate, pharmacists may ask questions to determine a patient’s health and mental wellbeing. These can help to establish how a patient is tracking on their medication, screen for adverse effects from medications, check for signs of improving or worsening health, and provide advice on health habits to ensure the medications a patient takes are most effective.

Pharmacists can offer advice on better managing medications, and provide resources that can be helpful for patients and referrals to their GP and other healthcare professionals where needed.

Pharmacists with training in mental health management understand the importance of a patient-centred approach to achieving positive health outcomes. 

“It is crucial to normalise the process of achieving and maintaining good mental health and remove assumptions and stigma,” Negar adds. “Encourage those in your network to engage with their pharmacists and health care providers often, have authentic conversations about their experience in achieving and maintaining balance, seek advice from medication experts, learn about their body’s response during times of high stress, and take educated and purposeful steps towards optimising their physical and mental health.” 

Mental health exists across a spectrum – from healthy to coping to struggling and to unwell. Helping patients move towards the healthy end of the spectrum requires a collaborative approach within the community and workplace where patients are supported and empowered. 

For participants attending the conference, Pharmacy 777 and Negar look forward to seeing you on Monday 7th November and Tuesday 8th November to explain further how pharmacists work with patients to build a supportive, proactive approach towards achieving better mental health. Pharmacy 777 is a proud sponsor of the WAAMH conference.