Pharmaceutical Society of Australia welcomes recommendation for increased role for pharmacists
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) said Friday it welcomes a recommendation made in the "Report of the National Review of Mental Health Programmes and Services" that incentives be introduced to include pharmacists as key members of the mental health care team.
The report supports changes to increase the possibility of nondispensing pharmacists working with doctors and other health practitioners to meet health care needs.
PSA National President Grant Kardachi said the report reflected the PSA’s support of the important role of pharmacists in mental health care.
“The report notes that pharmacists need to be a part of an integrated approach, working with GPs who are providing continuous follow-up care, and with other members of the multidisciplinary team,” Kardachi said.
The role pharmacists have the potential to play as part of the mental health team has been overlooked for too long and the report should be the catalyst for change, Kardachi said.
“Pharmacists are pivotal in such teams as they are the most accessible of all health professionals and often the first health professional consulted by a person with mental health issues,” Kardachi said. “It goes further to provide a particular focus on mental health and the mental health team, recognizing that people with severe mental ill-health issues often are on multiple medications.”
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