In Case You Haven't Heard…

Abstract

Can pharmacists help ease the mental health workforce shortage? Pharmacists are not new to health care, but Ray Love, psychiatric pharmacist and past president of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists, says they're underutilized, according to an article published in the April 23 issue of #CrisisTalk. “Within pharmacy, we can serve a whole array of clinical roles in patient care settings,” he said. As behavioral healthcare demands increase and the workforce continues to plummet, Love believes psychiatric pharmacists can help address these shortages, the article stated. In recent years, the pandemic has pushed community pharmacists into the spotlight, with those working at retail pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS administering vaccines and long‐acting injectables like antipsychotic medications and naltrexone for substance use disorders. “Community pharmacists were the unsung heroes of Covid — they did all the vaccinations in assisted living and nursing homes and then administered them in the community,” he said. The National Center for Health Workforce Analysis at the Health and Human Services Department has projected that by 2036, there will be shortages throughout the behavioral health workforce, including addiction counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, school counselors and psychiatric physician assistants. As workforce shortages rise, Love believes psychiatric pharmacists can help. “We're skilled in behavioral health medications and are complementary team members,” he said.