Abstract
Introduction: Mental illness is the leading contributor to disability, globally. The economic, social and individual cost of mental illness is high, being an indiscriminate health condition affecting all walks of life, gender, race and age. People with mild to moderate mental health conditions are generally cared for in primary health care with their drug treatment available from the community pharmacy. This gives the community pharmacist the ideal opportunity to interact with people with mild to moderate mental health conditions and play an important role in their care. To date, community pharmacists’ views on their roles and contribution to primary mental health care in New Zealand have not been investigated.
Aim: To explore community pharmacists’ perceptions of their role in primary mental health care.
Methodology: A qualitative study was undertaken. Fifteen face-to-face semi-structured interviews took place with registered community pharmacists from across New Zealand. Participants discussed current primary mental health services delivered by community pharmacists as well as facilitators and barriers to service provision. Interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. Data obtained were then coded and common themes were identified using a thematic analysis approach.
Results: Four main themes were identified. These themes showed that participants all believed they had an important role to play in primary mental health care. The level of interaction varied from the basic dispensing role, to dispensing plus patient counselling with provision of education and advice, through to broader patient centred primary mental health care. Community pharmacists could provide a continuum of primary mental health services which included multidisciplinary team care, patient support and patient advocacy. Factors identified that impacted on the ability to provide primary mental health care services included stigma, privacy and confidentiality issues, staffing levels, availability of time and funding, community pharmacists’ education and their perceptions of patient’s needs.
Conclusion: As part of the primary health care team, community pharmacists are increasing their contribution to the provision of primary mental health care. This coincides with an increased emphasis within policy and practice by government and pharmacy and medicine stakeholder organisations to support pharmacists to increase their face-to-face work in primary mental health care.