We all have mental health, and just like our physical health, this can be good or poor with a range in-between. Throughout our lives, we will all experience issues with our mental health as we face different stresses and strains, and it’s no wonder that the COVID-19 pandemic has placed a particular strain on our wellbeing. From economic pressures, to lack of social interaction, to worrying for your own or your loved ones’ health, the last six months has been an uncertain time for us all.

Throughout this uncertainty, key workers have proven how invaluable their role is. They have helped to keep communities afloat, supported members of the public in their day-to-day lives and protected the most vulnerable. In particular, pharmacists and their teams have continued to provide critical medicine supply services and advice across a range of health ailments, being one of the safest physically accessible health locations for those in need.

We’ve spoken to two pharmacists who have been on the front-line during the pandemic who share their views on the mental health implications both for the staff and customers in pharmacy.

Health anxiety

Throughout the pandemic, the public have been fearful of catching the virus in public spaces and have become more anxious about seeking support for health conditions.

However, Pharmacist and MHFA Instructor Deborah Evans explains that this fear may have had a detrimental knock-on effect to both the mental and physical health of patients: “We have seen a lot of people ignore signs and symptoms that may indicate a serious health condition because they are concerned about troubling the NHS during the pandemic or contracting the virus. This then leads to anxiety about it, which can progress to a mental health condition. As a healthcare professional, I am concerned that people will not seek support early enough for a number of serious conditions such as cancers, heart disease or stroke”.

She adds that the influx of panic buying at the beginning of lockdown also affected prescription orders, as patients worried they would run out: “We saw huge increases in prescription medicine ordering. This was especially true for respiratory medicines such as inhalers.”

Community & GP based Pharmacist Anshu Kaura explains how the increase in medicine demand took a toll on pharmacy professionals: “Many pharmacy team members experienced fatigue and burnout due to the stress that came with managing the influx in prescriptions, as well as the fear among patients”.

Students on the front line

As key workers, pharmacy teams have worked throughout the pandemic, dealing with anxious and frantic patients. This demanding work environment will have caused distress amongst pharmacy professionals, as well as the many pharmacy students who started work early during the final stages of their study to assist with demand.

Anshu Kaura explains: “For students who were thrown into an environment they may not have been ready for, it may have been difficult to navigate difficult situations which require experienced communication skills, such as bereavement or abusive patients. It can also feel daunting without complete knowledge of services provided, or feeling uncomfortable to ask for help in a high-pressure environment.”

Being in unfamiliar situations such as these may have negatively affected students’ mental wellbeing, as Deborah Evans explains, “It’s a crazy time to be starting your pharmacy career and some people will thrive in that situation. However, there will be others who feel vulnerable, unsupported, or feel out of control. This can then lead to mental health issues such as panic disorder, depression and general anxiety. Feeling out of control is a significant area of stress for most of us, and so being thrown into an environment that you don’t understand and feel unprepared of can be very stressful, and potentially a trigger for worsening mental health.”

Moving forward

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of pharmacy professionals in the community, and the need for mental health support within the profession. So what can workplaces implement in future to help with the mental wellbeing of pharmacy teams?

Anshu Kaura believes that “In house mental health programmes should be instilled as compulsory in work time, pharmacy teams shouldn’t have to rely on information given for use in own time.  Corporate companies have now embedded structured programmes to support the mental health of their employees covering topics like sleep and building resilience. These are completed during work time.  It’s shocking that healthcare workers are not given this as compulsory work time learning.”

Deborah Evans adds, “Employers must establish clear support mechanisms for individuals so that they feel supported and know where to go for help. The whole pharmacy team can become more mental health aware and be more proactive in supporting one another. We all need to talk more when we have concerns to help reduce the stigma associated with mental health issues, and listen when we recognise issues in others.”

Over the coming months, the landscape of pharmacy will be different to many students’ expectations. For newly qualified pharmacists entering pre-registration, it will be a challenge to adapt their skills within the context of an ongoing pandemic. With this, it is clear that more needs to be done to support the mental health of existing and newly qualified pharmacy professionals, who defy the odds to support the health of our local communities.

Both Anshu and Deborah have also taken a pro-active role in supporting the mental wellbeing of pharmacy teams, contributing to a brand new ‘Wellbeing at Work’ training module from the No.1 brand sold through UK Pharmacy, Care.

Wellbeing at Work is accessible via Care’s free app: Ultimate Guide To Care, which contains tips on how to maintain boundaries at work, practice mindfulness, reduce the risk of burnout and identify your stressors to help resolve them. This app is for healthcare professionals.

This publication is sponsored by Care.