There need to be "big discussions" on how pharmacists can fit into the care of mentally ill patients, a leading psychiatrist has said in response to claims that thousands are dying needlessly every year.

Pharmacists could play a wider role in improving the physical health of mentally ill patients, Royal College of Psychiatrists president Sue Bailey told C+D in response to a report published last week (September 26) that revealed that one in three of England's 100,000 avoidable deaths every year involve mental health patients.

Professor Bailey said she would welcome an open discussion with the sector to determine whether pharmacists felt comfortable in targeting patients that have "more complex needs".

"Community pharmacists say they treat mentally ill patients the same as everybody else. What I would like to do is have a discussion with pharmacy to test that out," she said.

Contractor Graham Jones said he would welcome training to help mentally ill patients but it should be shaped "around the individual"	More pharmacy and mental health Xrayser: Out of my depth with mental health Update: Mental health C+D Pharmacy Innovation of the Year 2012: Computer CBT service MORE NEWS
	People with serious mental illness in England die on average 20 years earlier than the rest of the population, which was one of the biggest health scandals of our time, the report by charity Rethink Mental Illness warned. It accused the government of ignoring the physical health of mentally ill patients and called for action to reduce mortality.

The report highlighted that more than 40 per cent of all tobacco is smoked by people with mental illness and called for "tailored support" to help them quit. Patients should also be told about the side effects of antipsychotic medication so that they can monitor their physical health, it said.

Contractor Graham Jones, who owns two pharmacies in Berkshire, said mental health patients were a difficult group for pharmacists to reach and he would welcome training in handling patients with mental illness. However, public policy should be shaped "around the individual," he said.

Annie Clarke, pharmacy assistant and healthy living champion at City Pharmacy in Portsmouth, said she did not see mental health as a barrier for inviting patients to participate in smoking cessation or weight management services. However, if people needed help beyond the 12-week smoking cessation course, she would refer them to local stop smoking services or to their GP, she said.