Pharmacies Are Suitable Sites to Promote Mental Health, Most Patients Say

Pharmacies may be missing an out on an opportunity to engage customers about mental health and wellbeing, suggests a new study published online in Health Promotion Journal of Australia.

“With nearly half of all Australians likely to experience a mental illness, increasing community‐based mental health promotion is warranted,” researchers wrote. “Community pharmacies are accessible health care destinations that effectively provide a range of public health services.”

The investigation involved a survey of more than 500 adults who used pharmacies. Among them, more than one-third had experienced mental illness.  

Most participants—especially those who had experienced mental illness—considered community pharmacies suitable environments for mental health promotion, according to the study. In-store leaflets, posters, and linking customers with national mental health organizations or campaigns were viewed as preferable means of promotion. 

Only 23.3% of participants, however, had ever observed any promotion of mental health in a community pharmacy. 

“There is a clear potential for mental health promotion within community pharmacies,” researchers concluded, “although the uptake and impact of such activities requires further investigation.” 

—Jolynn Tumolo

Reference

Hall B, Kelly F, Wheeler AJ, McMillan S. Consumer perceptions of community pharmacy-based promotion of mental health and wellbeing [published online ahead of print December 20, 2019]. Health Promot J Austr. doi: 10.1002/hpja.312