Pharmacists Should Play a Role in Suicide Prevention
In the context of suicide prevention strategies, pharmacists are considered to be "gatekeepers" by the World Health Organization. What does this mean exactly?
A "gatekeeper" is someone who frequently comes into contact with the community due to their professional status. Other examples could include police officers, military personnel, social workers, religious leaders and emergency health care providers. Training of gatekeepers about suicide prevention should be a key component of any suicide prevention strategy in addition to other efforts such as public awareness.
Pharmacists are ideally positioned to deal with suicide prevention because we frequently come into contact with our patients in the pharmacy and therefore have the ability to more easily monitor for depression and nonadherence to antidepressants. Studies indicate that more than 90% of suicide victims have a diagnosable psychiatric illness. Therefore, since patients with psychiatric disorders such as depression and schizophrenia are at increased risk of suicide, it is important to perform ongoing monitoring of these patients and their adherence to medications.
A "gatekeeper" is someone who frequently comes into contact with the community due to their professional status. Other examples could include police officers, military personnel, social workers, religious leaders and emergency health care providers. Training of gatekeepers about suicide prevention should be a key component of any suicide prevention strategy in addition to other efforts such as public awareness.
Pharmacists are ideally positioned to deal with suicide prevention because we frequently come into contact with our patients in the pharmacy and therefore have the ability to more easily monitor for depression and nonadherence to antidepressants. Studies indicate that more than 90% of suicide victims have a diagnosable psychiatric illness. Therefore, since patients with psychiatric disorders such as depression and schizophrenia are at increased risk of suicide, it is important to perform ongoing monitoring of these patients and their adherence to medications.
"Studies indicate that more than 90% of suicide victims have a diagnosable psychiatric illness"
Not only are we ideally positioned to follow-up with and monitor our patients, but we widely considered to be the most trusted healthcare profession meaning that patients will be more willing to be open with us about their suicidal ideations. It is important to realize that the majority of patients thinking about committing suicide don't really want to end their life. The more likely scenario is that they are experiencing a lack of social support and are just looking for someone to listen to them. Many patients are likely to reach out to you, the pharmacist, for help so it is essential to understand how you can help these patients.