Commissioners should see pharmacy as a "major resource" in tackling mental health problems, a leading primary care expert has said.

It would be "bizarre" if pharmacy did not begin to play a larger role in making interventions for patients displaying the early signs of mental illness, as well as helping those on multiple medications, NHS Alliance chief executive Rick Stern told C+D at the Sigma conference in Mexico last week (February 18).

"There's a key role to be played in managing medicines more effectively, and yet people with mental health issues are sometimes separated off into completely different care systems," Mr Stern said.

The pressures on the health system meant it would be "extraordinary" if commissioners did not seek support from pharmacy in dealing with mental health,  said NHS Alliance chief executive Rick Stern	More pharmacy and mental health Give pharmacists role in mental healthcare, top psychiatrist urges Xrayser: Out of my depth with mental health Update: Mental health
	It was still "fairly early days" for commissioners, but the pressures on the health system meant it would be "extraordinary" if they did not turn to pharmacy for mental health support.

As well as spotting patients whose mental health was deteriorating, pharmacists could also help people who were struggling with daily life by putting them in touch with local support groups, he told C+D.

"Increasingly people are pointing to the cost of loneliness, disconnectedness [and] hopelessness, and pharmacy must have a role to play in terms of [being] the biggest single point of contact in the NHS," Mr Stern added.

NPA chief executive Mike Holden said pharmacists could play a role in identifying the early signs of depression by spotting any deterioration in a patient's physical or mental wellbeing.

"Most long-term conditions have some element of depression associated with them, so [there's] the opportunity to identify depression [or] support somebody with dementia or their carer," he told C+D at the conference.

Some commissioners would be willing to "take a leap of faith" and commission mental health services from pharmacies, while others would require more evidence on the benefits first, he added.

Last month, the government published the document Closing the Gap: Priorities for Essential Change in Mental Health, which outlined 25 areas for NHS health and care services to improve the lives of people with mental health conditions. These included introducing new standards for waiting times and allowing patients to decide where they receive their care.