Creating mentally healthy pharmacies

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted just how important community pharmacies are in providing care, advice, and health services.

However, frontline health provision can bring about heightened levels of pressure for pharmacy staff.

To help address this, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia’s Pharmacy Business & Career Network Podcast channel has produced a special podcast called Creating Mentally Health Pharmacies.

The podcast features Christine Morgan, Chief Executive Officer of the National Mental Health Commission and National Suicide Prevention Adviser to the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison.

The podcast examines why it is vitally important that community pharmacies establish and sustain a mentally healthy workplace and ways in which pharmacists can manage their own mental health and support the mental health and wellbeing of colleagues.

There also are some important resources available to help build and maintain a mentally healthy workplace.

The National Mental Health Commission Mentally Healthy Workplace guides have been created by experts to provide practical tips and advice on helping employers and employees look out for the signs that someone may need support, and assist them to find help when they need it. The guides can be found at www.mentalhealthcommission.gov.au

The Pharmacist Support Service (PSS) provides a listening ear over the telephone to pharmacists and pharmacy interns and students.

In supporting pharmacists, PSS aims to benefit the public by ensuring that pharmacists maintain their health and wellbeing and so are able to provide an appropriate level of service to all Australian communities.

More details can be found on the PSS website at www.supportforpharmacists.org.au