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Objective The Headstrong program, a pharmacy based men’s mental health promotion program, was designed to enhance pharmacists’ care of men with mental illness and addictions and was focused on six conditions. A simulated patient (SP) encounter on insomnia was used to evaluate pharmacist’s performance as a part of the Headstrong program. Results Six Headstrong pharmacists consented to participate in the SP encounter as part of the evaluation of the Headstrong program. Pharmacists’ mean scores in most categories that were evaluated (e.g., pre-supply/assessment score, sleep score) were lower than expected. In assessing the SP during the encounter, pharmacists’ mean score was 5.7 (SD 2.0) of a possible 13 points. No pharmacists asked about the SP’s age, availability of other supports, allergies, and whether they had an existing relationship with a pharmacist. One pharmacist inquired about medical conditions, and two asked about pre-existing mental health conditions. Three pharmacists inquired about concurrent medications. The Headstrong program was discussed by half of the pharmacists and a resource recommended by the Headstrong program was suggested by one pharmacist. Several pharmacists used self-disclosure as a mechanism to support rapport building. Overall, the SP felt cared for and respected by the pharmacists and had confidence in their knowledge.

Background Community pharmacists are autonomous, regulated health care professionals located in urban and rural communities in Canada. The accessibility, knowledge, and skills of community pharmacists can be leveraged to increase mental illness and addictions care in communities. Methods The Bloom Program was designed, developed, and implemented based on the Behaviour Change Wheel and a program of research in community pharmacy mental healthcare capacity building. We evaluated the Bloom Program as a demonstration project using mixed methods. A retrospective chart audit was conducted to examine outcomes and these are reported in this paper. Results We collected 201 patient charts from 23 pharmacies in Nova Scotia with 182 patients having at least one or more follow-up visits. Anxiety (n = 126, 69%), depression (n = 112, 62%), and sleep disorders (n = 64, 35%) were the most frequent mental health problems. Comorbid physical health problems were documented in 57% (n = 104). The average number of prescribed medications was 5.5 (range 0 to 24). Sixty seven percent (n = 122) were taking multiple psychotropics and 71% (n = 130) reported taking more than one medication for physical health problems. Treatment optimization was the leading reason for enrollment with more than 80% seeking improvements in symptom management and daily functioning. There were a total of 1233 patient-care meetings documented, of which the duration was recorded in 1098. The median time for enrolling, assessing, and providing follow-up care by pharmacists was 142 min (mean 176, SD 128) per patient. The median follow-up encounter duration was 15 min. A total of 146 patient care encounters were 60 min or longer, representing 13.3% of all timed encounters. Conclusions Pharmacists work with patients with lived experience of mental illness and addictions to improve medication related outcomes including those related to treatment optimization, reducing polytherapy, and facilitating withdrawal from medications. Pharmacists can offer their services frequently and routinely without the need for an appointment while affording patient confidentiality and privacy. Important roles for pharmacists around the deprescribing of various medications (e.g., benzodiazepines) have previously been supported and should be optimized and more broadly implemented. Further research on the best mechanisms to incentivize pharmacists in mental illness and addiction’s care should be explored.

Background The More Than Meds program was developed to enhance community pharmacy based services for people with mental illness. Objective To evaluate the care of pharmacists who participated in this specific program using a telephone-based simulated patient with insomnia. Methods A trained actor used a simulated patient case scenario and telephoned pharmacists (i.e., intervention group pharmacists) and a control group of pharmacists approximately 6 months following training. Pharmacists were scored on their assessment of the patient and problem, guidance provided on both pharmacological and nonpharmacological care, communications, and overall quality. Results Sixty-three pharmacists (n = 29 intervention, n = 34 controls) were reached. Call duration was longer with intervention versus control group pharmacists [4.93 min (SD 2.3) vs. 4.00 min (SD 1.8)]. Medication recommendations were made by 76 and 100 % of intervention versus control pharmacists (p = 0.002), respectively. Intervention group pharmacists scored significantly higher on most components within communication and overall quality scores. Scores for assessing the patient, the problem, sleep, and medication supply were lower than expected for both groups. Conclusion Intervention group pharmacists performed better than controls on several components of a telephone-based simulated patient scenario for insomnia following More Than Meds training. More research is needed regarding telephone consultations in pharmacy practice.

Background: Pharmacists are knowledgeable, accessible health care professionals who can provide services that improve outcomes in mental health care. Various challenges and opportunities can exist in pharmacy practice to hinder or support pharmacists’ efforts. We used a theory-informed approach to development and implementation of a capacity-building program to enhance pharmacists’ roles in mental health care. Methods: Theories and frameworks including the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, the Theoretical Domains Framework, and the Behaviour Change Wheel were used to inform the conceptualization, development, and implementation of a capacity-building program to enhance pharmacists’ roles in mental health care. Results: The More Than Meds program was developed and implemented through an iterative process. The main program components included: an education and training day; use of a train-the-trainer approach from partnerships with pharmacists and people with lived experience of mental illness; development of a community of practice through email communications, a website, and a newsletter; and use of educational outreach delivered by pharmacists. Theories and frameworks used throughout the program’s development and implementation facilitated a means to conceptualize the component parts of the program as well as its overall presence as a whole from inception through evolution in implementation. Using theoretical foundations for the program enabled critical consideration and understanding of issues related to trialability and adaptability of the program. Conclusions: Theory was essential to the underlying development and implementation of a capacity-building program for enhancing services by pharmacists for people with lived experience of mental illness. Lessons learned from the development and implementation of this program are informing current research and evolution of the program.

Marketing managers developing strategies to market products on the Internet are faced with important issues. We suggest that the use of Web advertising, virtual store-fronts and virtual communities provides innovative opportunities for marketers to communicate with consumers, understand their preferences and personalize the marketing offers at far lesser costs and far more effectively than through traditional means. The Web can also extend to fulfill the transaction and distribution needs of the consumers through new consumer processes, and thus becomes a new marketing channel. Considering the unique characteristics of the Web and traditional channels, we suggest the use of product and market characteristics in identifying the right channel for the right product. Further, we present a new framework of channel management strategies to help organizations effectively integrate the Web channel into their marketing strategy.