Pharmacists who are involved in the Bridging the Gap between Physical and Mental Illness in Community Pharmacy (PharMIbridge) Randomised Control Trial (RCT) are invited to take part in a training workshop that will be held on 24-25 February 2021 in Northern Sydney.
The PharMIbridge RCT is expected to involve up to eight community pharmacies in Northern Sydney, and will test the effectiveness of a person-centred, goal-orientated and flexible pharmacist-led support service for consumers living with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI), compared to a standard in-pharmacy medication review service (MedsCheck).
“This trial is an important initiative in determining the impact of a pharmacist’s intervention in helping people living with mental illness,” says National President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, George Tambassis.
“Pharmacists can be one of the first health professionals a mental health consumer will turn to for help.”
Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) National President, Associate Professor Chris Freeman adds that as medicines experts, pharmacists play a vital role in the management of mental illness in the community.
“Pharmacists have an important role to play in supporting people who have a mental illness and are often in the frontline as a care provider, providing advice and assistance to people who may be suffering through these difficult times,” he says.
While a MedsCheck involves a pharmacist reviewing a consumer’s medication use and addressing any medication-relating questions and sending a report/discussing this with their GP, the PharMIbridge intervention is said to involve a more in-depth medicine support service.
It’s said that this in-depth support service is delivered over six months and aims to identify and address problems relating to psychotropic medication use or physical and psychological health concerns, with an emphasis on quality of life, physical health and psychological wellbeing.
The PharMIbridge RCT will assess the impacts of a pharmacist’s intervention and changes in consumer medication adherence and health outcomes.
It is also expected to assess the confidence and knowledge of community pharmacists to support consumers through the trial service.
For more details about the trial and workshop, email pharmibridge@griffith.edu.au or visit griffith.edu.au/pharmibridge or call (07) 3735 8038.
