THE Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) is spotlighting pharmacist-led mental health support this Oct for Mental Health Month 2025, which aims to raise awareness and promote better mental health for all Australians.
PSA National President Associate Professor Fei Sim noted that pharmacists were among the most accessible health professionals in our communities.
"With the right training and support, they can play a transformative role in recognising early signs of mental ill-health, offering timely care, and guiding people towards the help they need," she said.
"Their everyday interactions can be life-changing."
The PSA released its Medicine Safety: Mental Health Care report in Nov 2023, which highlighted ways that pharmacists could help support Australians by using medicines to treat mental health conditions (PD 24 Nov 2023).
According to the report, people with severe mental health conditions have a 12- to 16-year shorter life expectancy than the general population.
It also found that 18% of Australians use medicines to treat a mental health condition, and that antidepressants were involved in 31% of medicine-related deaths due to overdose, followed by antipsychotics in 17%.
So far this year, PSA has delivered Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training to pharmacists and pharmacy staff in SA, WA and Qld through funded projects.
The SA Government, through the Office of the Chief Pharmacist, commissioned PSA to deliver MHFA training to at least 1,000 participants by May 2026.
As of Sep 2025, 751 participants have completed this training through the project.
One pharmacist described the training as "brilliant" and pointed to a situation it helped them to calmly work through.
"One of my elderly clients expressed a desire to die," the pharmacist said.
"She asked what would happen if she stopped taking her medications.
"She is lonely, as her daughter had died last year.
"I used the skills from the MHFA course to focus on the positives in her life and shared some of my own experiences.
"I encouraged her to visit the pharmacy regularly to chat as she lives locally; I truly believe I saved a life that morning."
The Mental Health SA Project will continue until May 2026, with PSA encouraging all eligible pharmacists to take advantage of the initiative.
Additionally, the PSA has upskilled 27 pharmacists in Queensland with MHFA training, as well as recently completing the delivery of MHFA training to 185 pharmacists and pharmacy staff in a project funded by the WA Mental Health Commission. JM
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 23 Oct 25
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 23 Oct 25
