Pharmacy Daily | Pharmacists present to loneliness inquiry

PHARMACY Addressing Loneliness and Social isolation (PALS) and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) provided evidence yesterday to the NSW Legislative Council Standing Committee on Social Issues regarding its inquiry into the prevalence, causes and impacts of loneliness in NSW.

Pharmacists engage with patients an average of 18 times each year, PALS pointed out in its submission, and given their trusted status, have significant opportunities to help identify, screen for, address and prevent loneliness.

The impacts of loneliness on physical, cognitive and mental health, and health behaviours (such as medication use) are significant and costly, with the adverse health outcomes of loneliness estimated to cost the economy $2.7 billion per year.

PALS made four recommendations:

* Funding to support the rollout of PALS' world-first Pharmacist Training program on Loneliness throughout NSW to all pharmacists;

* A partnership between PALS and the NSW government to develop and deliver a public health campaign addressing loneliness;

* NSW government to invest in the roll-out of a validated loneliness screening tool through pharmacy;

* Funding to pilot pharmacist involvement in social prescribing initiatives in collaboration with local organisations, helping to connect patients with local community services.

PALS Founder Jenny Kirschner highlighted the world-first Pharmacist Training Program on Loneliness, which includes a module that specifically addresses loneliness in pharmacists, acknowledging that health professionals can also feel lonely.

"I was very happy to present at the Inquiryto raise awareness about the role pharmacy can play in addressing loneliness", she told Pharmacy Daily.

The PSA recommended funding for: training on loneliness; the roll-out of a validated loneliness screening tool; mental health first aid training for pharmacists; the delivery of remunerated telehealth consultations between pharmacists and people who are isolated; and a partnership with the NSW government to provide educational materials on loneliness to pharmacists.

"It was a great opportunity to discuss how pharmacists can help to alleviate the burden of loneliness for the people of NSW," Amanda Fairjones, PSA NSW State Manager, told Pharmacy Daily. KB

Pictured: PSA NSW Vice President Lily Pham, PALS Founder Jenny Kirshner, and PSA NSW State Manager Amanda Fairjones.