Pharmacists and policymakers came together to discuss approaches to mental health care, addressing key challenges and opportunities for improvement. The event highlighted how pharmacists can be better supported in their role and how policies can be adapted to improve access to mental health resources, promoting a holistic, patient-centred approach across these regions.

Pharmacy professionals often experience tension, distress and feelings of being overwhelmed as a result of such stressors. Given the negative impact of stress on health, safety and productivity, proactive stress management is essential for pharmacy teams. At this event, we explored tailored stress management techniques that enhance the well-being of professionals and their ability to provide optimal patient care. By prioritising mental health, pharmacy teams can promote resilience and a thriving working environment.

Stress is the body’s response to any situation that requires attention or action, and everybody experiences some level of stress. However, high levels of stress may lead to various physical, mental, and emotional symptoms such as muscle tension, headaches, fatigue, sleep disorders, irritability, increased heart rate, and difficulty in breathing. Chronic stress is also a risk factor for the development or exacerbations of non-communicable diseases. Pharmacists have an important role in helping people prevent and manage stress though pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches.

Moderator:
– Filipa Alves da Costa, Assistant Professor Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon – Portugal

Panellists:
– Carole Spiers, Chair International Stress Management Association – UK
– Hahn, Martina, Clinical pharmacist University hospital Frankfurt and Department of mental health, varisano hospital Frankfurt Hoechst – Germany
– Ricardo Cintra, Clinical Phycologist Farmácia Moreira Barata, Lda – Portugal

Pharmacists have a significant role in the support and management of persons with mental health illnesses and in reducing the commonly associated stigma. FIP has developed a new handbook to support pharmacists and their organisations in providing a range of mental health-related services. In addition, the handbook will be accompanied by the knowledge and skills (K&S) reference guide in mental health which identifies the K&S that pharmacists require for the provision of such services, thus offering guidance to pharmacists, academic institutions and CPD providers. Both publications will be launched at this event and they are part of the FIP Practice Transformation Programme on Non-Communicable Diseases.

Attendees will learn about:

1. The role of pharmacists in the prevention, identification, care and management of mental health illnesses;
2. Challenges and opportunities for pharmacists in addressing mental health illnesses;
3. The knowledge and skills pharmacists need to acquire to support their role in mental health.

Moderator:
– Inês Nunes da Cunha, FIP Practice Development and Transformation Projects Manager, Portugal

Panelsits:
– Claire O’Reilly, Senior Lecturer School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Australia
– Sarira El-Den, Senior Lecturer The University of Sydney School of Pharmacy, Australia
– Jiahui (Jeff) Dong, PharmD Candidate The University of North Carolina, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, United States
– Dalia Bajis, FIP Lead for provision and partnerships, Australia

And FIP AIM will be celebrating this special day with a webinar on mental health and wellbeing for academics.

Because the COVID-19 pandemic had led to considerable impact on our physical and mental wellbeing, mental health has become the ‘shadow pandemic’. At this webinar, cultivating mental health and resilience for academics will be highlighted and academic strategies for will be discussed to emphasize the benefits of improved mental health and wellbeing in achieving a better work-life integration.

The participants who join the webinar will;
1. Discover the importance of fostering academic resilience for mental health and wellbeing during unprecedented times and beyond,
2. Address the necessary reasons to raise mental health awareness among academics for students and workplace,
3. Identify institutional strategies in supporting mental health and wellbeing of academic staff and students,
4. Optimize mental health for academic performance in higher education.

Chairs:
-Pierre Moreau, Dean FIP, Kuwait University, Kuwait
-Toyin Tofade, Dean Howard University College of Pharmacy, USA
-Mohamad Rahal, Dean Lebanese International University, Lebanon

Panelists;
-Neil MacKinnon, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Augusta University, USA
-Betty Exintaris, Senior Lecturer, Monash University, Australia
-Fatos Ilkay Alp Yıldırım, Associate professor Istanbul University, School of Pharmacy, Turkey

Facilitators:
-Nilhan Uzman, FIP Lead for education policy and implementation FIP, The Netherlands
-Ozge Ozer, FIP Educational Partnership Coordinator, Turkey

This has placed a huge strain on health systems and their ability to deliver mental health care. Pharmacists are the most accessible healthcare providers and consistently rank among the most trusted health professionals. Hence, they can play an important role in the provision of mental health services to the public, thereby helping improve health outcomes and ameliorate the impact on health systems. This webinar explores the different services offered by pharmacists to improve mental health in an era of COVID-19 and beyond.

The new and unique challenges directly associated with the COVID-19 pandemic are exacerbating an already stressful work environment for pharmacists too. Pharmacists are reporting high level of stress and burnout in practice. Hence, there is an urgent need for pharmacists to be equipped with the knowledge, tools, and resources to cope and thrive in crises. This webinar provides perspectives from research and practice on the impact of workplace burnout on pharmacist mental health and highlight evidence-based supportive mechanisms and prevention tools to improve the mental health and wellbeing.