SA Health has revealed that first aid training for dealing with mental health is to be rolled out to more than 1,000 community pharmacists across the State as part of the program for early detection and treatment.
Following a competitive process for procurement by SA Health and the Office of the Chief Pharmacist, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia has been selected to deliver the specialised training program.
Minister for Health and Wellbeing, Chris Picton said implementing community pharmacy programs to deal with some issues would help reduce pressure on hospital services, particularly emergency departments through increased access to medicines, pharmacy services and expert advice.
“Community pharmacy is often the first point of access to health care for many people, with pharmacists being in a unique position to help address some immediate mental health needs and assist South Australians with accessing the care they need, outside of an Emergency Department (ED),” Mr Picton said.
“Appropriately upskilling our pharmacists to deliver high quality and safe care means pharmacists and pharmacy staff can identify early warning signs of mental ill health that may otherwise go unnoticed and undiagnosed,” he said.
Mr Picton said the pharmacies’ training would include:
– Understanding the signs and symptoms of mental ill health, as well as learning practical skills to support people experiencing a mental health problem;
– Education of pharmacists and pharmacy staff on the types of help and support available and how to help people access the support they need, including referring to other services;
– Provision of information about developing mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, psychosis and substance abuse; and
– Support for pharmacists and pharmacy staff in identifying mental health crises.
“About one in five adults will experience mental illness in any given year,” SA Health said.
“If left untreated, mental illness can result in presentations to hospital EDs, which is not always the best environment for people in mental health distress plus it places extra pressure on the hospital system.”
It said the training was part of a suite of pharmacy-focused election commitments to help strengthen primary care and relieve pressure on the acute care system.
The pharmacists and pharmacy staff to receive the training will be from both metropolitan and regional areas.
