PSA champions pharmacist-led mental health support
22 OCTOBER 2025
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) is proud to support Mental Health Month 2025, highlighting the critical role pharmacists play in the early identification and support of mental ill-health in the community. October marks a national effort to raise awareness and promote better mental health for all Australians.
PSA’s Medicine Safety: Mental Health Care report which was released in November 2023 highlighted the opportunities for pharmacists to better support Australians using medicines to treat mental health conditions. The report called for improved access to care and investment in quality use of medicines services at critical points of care.
Key findings from the report included:
- People with severe mental health conditions have a 12–16-year shorter life expectancy than the general population.
- 18% of Australians use medicines to treat a mental health condition.
- Antidepressants were involved in 31% of medicine-related deaths due to overdose; antipsychotics in 17%.
Pharmacists are often the most accessible health professionals in the community and are uniquely placed to connect with people at crucial times, including before a crisis develops and becomes overwhelming.
In 2025, PSA has delivered Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training to pharmacists and pharmacy staff in South Australia, Western Australia, and Queensland through funded projects. The South Australian Government, through the Office of the Chief Pharmacist, commissioned PSA to deliver MHFA training to at least 1,000 participants by May 2026. As of September 2025, 751 participants have completed this training through the project.
The impact of this training is evident in practice. Following a recent face-to-face MHFA session, one pharmacist shared:
“One of my elderly clients expressed a desire to die. She asked what would happen if she stopped taking her medications. She wanted to ‘just switch herself off’. She is lonely, as her daughter had died last year. I used the skills from the MHFA course to focus on the positives in her life and shared some of my own experiences. I encouraged her to visit the pharmacy regularly to chat as she lives locally. I truly believe I saved a life that morning.”
The pharmacist described the training as “brilliant” as it helped them to work through the situation calmly. They expressed deep gratitude to the South Australian Government and the PSA trainer for a life-changing experience.
PSA National President Associate Professor Fei Sim FPS said pharmacists were among the most accessible health professionals in our communities. “With the right training and support, they can play a transformative role in recognising early signs of mental ill-health, offering timely care, and guiding people towards the help they need. Their everyday interactions can be life-changing” she said.
The Mental Health South Australia Project is continuing until May 2026, offering pharmacists and pharmacy staff across South Australia the opportunity to complete MHFA training. PSA encourages all eligible pharmacists whether in community, general practice, or aged care settings to take advantage of this initiative and strengthen their role in supporting mental wellbeing in their communities.
PSA also has upskilled 27 pharmacists in Queensland with MHFA training through generous funding from the PSA Foundation. In addition, PSA recently completed the delivery of MHFA training to185 pharmacists and pharmacy staff in a project funded by the WA Mental Health Commission, delivered through digital and face-to-face workshops.
Medicine safety: Mental health care report – Pharmaceutical Society of Australia
Mental Health Month 2025 – Mental Health Coalition of South Australia
2025 Mental Health Calendar | National Mental Health Commission
Media contact: Leah Jacobsen M: 0480 099 798 E: leah.jacobsen@psa.org.au
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia is the only national peak body that represents all of Australia’s pharmacists across all practice settings. We want every Australian to have access to the best healthcare, and this must include optimising access to pharmacists’ knowledge and medicines expertise at the forefront of our healthcare system.
