Design and Implementation of an Educational Partnership Between Community Pharmacists and Consumer Educators in Mental Health Care

Abstract

Objective. To design and implement an interactive education program to improve the skill and confidence of community pharmacists in providing pharmaceutical services to people with mental illnesses. Design. A literature review was conducted and key stakeholders were consulted to design a partnership that involved community pharmacists and consumer educators. The partnership was designed so that all participants shared equal status. This facilitated mutual recognition of each others' skills. Assessment. Four 2-hour training sessions were conducted over a 2-week period in March 2005. Seven pharmacists, 5 consumer educators, and 1 caregiver educator participated in the partnership. Pharmacists indicated that their participation caused them to reflect on their own medication counseling techniques. Consumer educators reported that speaking about their experiences aided their recovery. Conclusion. Developing a better understanding and improved communication between community pharmacists and people with mental illnesses is an important aspect of facilitating a concordant approach to patient counseling. Implementing mental health education programs utilizing consumer educators in pharmacy schools is a promising area for further research.

Impact of a Mental Illness Stigma Awareness Intervention on Pharmacy Student Attitudes and Knowledge

“…12,17 In pharmacy, a limited body of research highlights the benefit of training programs for reducing social distance and improving attitudes about mental illness, which, in turn, increases counseling frequency and enhances the quality of care provided to patients living with mental illness. [19][20][21][22][23][24][25] Pharmacy students report higher levels of stigmatization than pharmacists regarding schizophrenia. 24,26,27 Because pharmacy students are the next generation of pharmacists, it is important to examine their perceptions regarding stigma towards patients with mental illness.…”

A Depression Training Session With Consumer Educators to Reduce Stigmatizing Views and Improve Pharmacists’ Depression Care Attitudes and Practices

“…24 A study demonstrating the potential value of consumer educators in the education of community pharmacists stated that use of consumer educators should be considered as a strategy for improving the confidence and communication skills of community pharmacists in providing pharmaceutical care for people with mental illnesses such as depression. 23,25 Meanwhile, several studies demonstrated that using consumer educators for pharmacy students reduced mental health stigma, 17,26 improved attitudes, and increased students' self-reported sense of empathy toward people with schizophrenia and depression, even on a long-term basis. 22 However, these studies have reported the impact of consumer educators only in undergraduate training.…”

“…21 A consumer educator in mental health care is defined in the literature as a person who has previously received mental health care and works, often on a voluntary basis, to inform and educate professionals, students, and the wider community on mental illness and its effects on individuals, families, and society. 22,23 The use of mental health consumers as educators has been well received in nursing and medical education, especially in Australia. 24 A study demonstrating the potential value of consumer educators in the education of community pharmacists stated that use of consumer educators should be considered as a strategy for improving the confidence and communication skills of community pharmacists in providing pharmaceutical care for people with mental illnesses such as depression.…”

Impact of a Continuing Education Program on Pharmacists’ Knowledge and Attitudes toward Asthma Patient Care

“…This finding may be due to the life-threatening consequences of asthma exacerbation, and includes ethical debate about the mission of healthcare providers to save lives [25] . Another possible explanation may be the lack of patient involvement, such as expert/standardized patients or consumer educators, in the program [26,27] . Involving the patient in the education program is worth considering as it may affect pharmacists' attitudes toward patient autonomy [28] .…”