Evaluation of a student pharmacist-led depression screening program in a community pharmacy

• Main Authors: Shannon Habba, BS (Author), Kyle Burghardt, PharmD (Author), Brittany Stewart, RD, PharmD (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists, 2024-08-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 2168-9709; 10.9740/mhc.2024.10.286
• Keywords: depression screening; community pharmacy; student pharmacists; pharmacists; mental health; Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry; RC321-571; Pharmacy and materia medica; RS1-441
• Source: Mental Health Clinician, Vol 14, Iss 5, Pp 286-292 (2024)

Introduction One in 5 adults in the United States have depression and are at risk for suicide, the 11th leading cause of death in the United States. Community pharmacy settings are ideal for increasing access to mental health services. Our objectives were to assess PHQ-9 scores and evaluate participant satisfaction in a student pharmacist-led depression screening program in a community pharmacy. Methods Student pharmacists trained in mental health first aid recruited participants 18 to 90 years old in a community pharmacy to complete the PHQ-9 and provided mental health education, referrals, and resources. A 2-week follow-up was completed, and participants reported on actions taken since the initial visit. Descriptive statistics, independent t tests, and χ2 tests were used in data analysis. Results Twelve depression screening events were held, and 70 participants completed the screenings. The mean age was 52 years, and 75.7% were female. PHQ-9 scores ranged from 0 to 24 with an average of 3.96. Most participants (92.9%) reported the depression screening program was helpful. More than 90% of participants completed the 2-week follow-up, and 92.3% reported being comfortable seeking mental health services from a pharmacist. About half (53.8%) reported reading the educational materials, 24.6% helped a friend or family member, and 16.9% made an appointment with their health care provider. Discussion Student pharmacists successfully provided depression screenings and mental health education in a community pharmacy. Most participants had low PHQ-9 scores, found the program helpful, and are willing to utilize mental health services in a community pharmacy.