The Association Report column in JAPhA reports on activities of APhA's 3 academies and topics of interest to members of those groups.The APhA Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management (APhA–APPM) is dedicated to assisting members in enhancing the profession of pharmacy, improving medication use, and advancing patient care. Through the APhA–APPM Special Interest Groups (SIGs), the Academy provides members a mechanism to network and support the profession by addressing emerging issues. To access a listing of AphA–APPM SIGs, visit www.pharmacist.com.The mission of the APhA Academy of Pharmaceutical Research and Science (APhA–APRS) is to stimulate the discovery, dissemination, and application of research to improve patient health. Academy members are a source of authoritative information on key scientific issues and work to advance the pharmaceutical sciences and improve the quality of pharmacy practice. Through the 3 APhA–APRS sections (Clinical Sciences; Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences; and Economic, Social, and Administrative Sciences), the Academy provides a mechanism for experts in all areas of the pharmaceutical sciences to influence APhA's policymaking process.The mission of the APhA Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA–ASP) is to be the collective voice of student pharmacists, to provide opportunities for professional growth, to improve patient care, and to envision and advance the future of pharmacy. The Association Report column is written by Academy and section officers and coordinated by APhA staff. Suggestions for future content may be sent to [email protected] The Association Report column in JAPhA reports on activities of APhA's 3 academies and topics of interest to members of those groups. The APhA Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management (APhA–APPM) is dedicated to assisting members in enhancing the profession of pharmacy, improving medication use, and advancing patient care. Through the APhA–APPM Special Interest Groups (SIGs), the Academy provides members a mechanism to network and support the profession by addressing emerging issues. To access a listing of AphA–APPM SIGs, visit www.pharmacist.com. The mission of the APhA Academy of Pharmaceutical Research and Science (APhA–APRS) is to stimulate the discovery, dissemination, and application of research to improve patient health. Academy members are a source of authoritative information on key scientific issues and work to advance the pharmaceutical sciences and improve the quality of pharmacy practice. Through the 3 APhA–APRS sections (Clinical Sciences; Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences; and Economic, Social, and Administrative Sciences), the Academy provides a mechanism for experts in all areas of the pharmaceutical sciences to influence APhA's policymaking process. The mission of the APhA Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA–ASP) is to be the collective voice of student pharmacists, to provide opportunities for professional growth, to improve patient care, and to envision and advance the future of pharmacy. The Association Report column is written by Academy and section officers and coordinated by APhA staff. Suggestions for future content may be sent to [email protected] “Pharmacists are the most accessible health care professionals,” is a phrase read in the literature, heard in the mantra of pharmacy organizations, and used in our pitch to increase access to pharmacist-provided services, often involving the management of chronic disease states such as hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. However, what we do not hear enough is how pharmacists can and should play a role in mental health. As the prevalence of mental disorders continues to increase worldwide, the mental health community remains an underserved and undertreated population. Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the United States experience mental illness in any given year, but only 41% of adults in the United States with a mental health condition received mental health services in 2014.1Any Mental Illness (AMI) Among Adults.https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/prevalence/any-mental-illness-ami-among-us-adults.shtmlDate accessed: September 20, 2017Google Scholar Furthermore, a paucity of mental health providers coupled with legislation such as the 21st Century Cures Act demonstrate the increased need for mental health services. With medication being a major treatment modality and pharmacists being the most accessible health professionals, pharmacists are uniquely positioned to play a greater and more patient-centered role in the delivery of mental health services. Pharmacists' knowledge and skills can be leveraged to care for patients with mental illnesses in any practice setting by simply doing what they are trained to do. The most important skills pharmacists must exhibit are compassion, communication, and patient-centered care (CCPCC). As pharmacotherapy experts, we can ensure the optimal use of medications by recommending an appropriate regimen, preventing medication-related errors, counseling patients on when they should expect a medication to begin working and what adverse effects they may experience, and developing a monitoring plan. Pharmacists can also provide screening services and refer patients when appropriate. While a broad range of skills in drug information, risk assessment, and medication management inherently position pharmacists to affect the delivery of mental health services, increased efforts are needed to transition from a biomedical model of care toward a more patient-centered care model that reduces mental health stigma.2Rubio-Valera M. Chen T.F. O'Reilly C.L. New roles for pharmacists in community mental health care: a narrative review.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2014; 11: 10967-109690Crossref PubMed Scopus (109) Google Scholar A growing body of evidence suggests that health professionals are a primary source of stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors.3Henderson C. Noblett J. Parke H. et al.Mental health-related stigma in health care and mental health-care settings.Lancet Psychiatry. 2014; 1: 467-482Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (324) Google Scholar Although some studies have found pharmacists to have generally favorable attitudes toward people who have a mental illness, international data from a 6-country study show that suboptimal attitudes toward people with schizophrenia and severe depression were common among student pharmacists in Australia, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, India, and Latvia.4Bell J.S. Aaltonen S.E. Bronstein E. et al.Attitudes of pharmacy students toward people with mental disorders, a six country study.Pharm World Sci. 2008; 30: 595-599Crossref PubMed Scopus (41) Google Scholar Furthermore, pharmacists have reported feeling uncomfortable discussing symptoms of mental disorders and believing they were less likely to follow up with patients who have a mental illness than with those who have a cardiovascular illness.2Rubio-Valera M. Chen T.F. O'Reilly C.L. New roles for pharmacists in community mental health care: a narrative review.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2014; 11: 10967-109690Crossref PubMed Scopus (109) Google Scholar This professional culture has significant implications including, but not limited to, social marginalization and poor adherence. Such attitudes toward mental illness and a lack of confidence to provide pharmacy services to mental health patients underscore the need for pharmacy education reform as it relates to mental health. As educational programming for pharmacists and student pharmacists alike is improved, only then can pharmacists take on a more clinically significant role in the care of patients who have a mental illness. At the most recent House of Delegates, APhA–ASP adopted a resolution that calls for increased efforts to reduce mental health stigma. The resolution is as follows. 1.APhA–ASP encourages all stakeholders to develop and adopt evidence-based approaches in order to educate and reduce stigma surrounding mental health conditions to improve treatment for persons with mental illness.2.APhA–ASP supports the increased utilization of pharmacists and student pharmacists, with appropriate training, to actively participate in psychiatric interprofessional health care teams in all practice settings.3.APhA–ASP supports the inclusion and expansion of mental health education and training in the curriculum of all schools and colleges of pharmacy and postgraduate opportunities. In addition, a number of APhA–ASP Chapters have developed mental health patient care projects that not only provide care to this underserved population, but also help to mold student pharmacists into future practitioners who are willing and able to fill the mental health care gap. In short, we are not asking that you become a mental health specialist. We are simply asking that you do your part as a pharmacist to provide CCPCC to every patient you serve, because that is the pharmacist our patients deserve. Here is how you can better serve patients with mental illnesses:•Be familiar with the mental health resources in your community, such as crisis hotlines, referral services, and patient assistance programs.•Be an active participant in the pharmacist provider status movement (Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act—H.R. 592/S. 109).•Volunteer at homeless shelters and community health centers.•Use appropriate mental health jargon.•Stay up-to-date on clinical guidelines and pharmacy practice topics, such as telehealth.•Improve your own mental health literacy by exploring resources provided by mental health organizations and becoming trained in mental health first aid.•Become a board-certified psychiatric pharmacist.•Provide depression and substance use screenings at your practice site.•Advocate for private counseling areas in your practice setting.•Work with your state association to allow pharmacist administration of long-acting injectable antipsychotics and the dispensing of naloxone without a prescription. Adrienne Simmons, Final-year PharmD candidate, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy, Richmond, VA; Member, 2017-2018 APhA–ASP Policy Standing Committee