In my 25 years in pharmacy, I’ve seen first-hand the critical role that pharmacists and pharmacies play in providing care. That role is more important than ever in today’s healthcare environment as demand for services increase while providers face mounting staff shortages. This need for care extenders for providers is perhaps nowhere more critical than for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI). Since the pandemic, we’ve seen an uptick in demand for behavioral health care. Yet at the same time, behavioral health providers and individuals alike are facing roadblocks in just about every direction. Pharmacies specialized in behavioral health conditions play a critical role in helping individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) and their care teams access medications, improve adherence, and impact quality of life.
The Challenges Providers Face
Behavioral health providers are tasked with delivering high-quality care to every individual who walks through their doors. In today’s environment, they must also ensure each person is connected to the next point of care, navigate insurance barriers to medications, and do it all while managing staffing shortages.
High Patient Demand & Staffing Shortages
In 2022, approximately 23.1% of U.S. adults (59.3 million people) were living with a mental illness, up from 20.6% in 20191,2. At the same time, according to the American Association of Medical Colleges, within a few years, the country will be short between 14,280 and 31,109 psychiatrists3. This shortage is further highlighted by the fact that, as of December 2023, more than half (169 million) of the U.S. population lives in a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area4. This high demand combined with a shortage of care providers makes it difficult for individuals to access care and also burdens already overworked care team members. Additionally, care teams are expected to help individuals get prior authorizations and manage their medications.
Medication Management Difficulties
On top of difficulties accessing care, medication can be hard to manage. Many individuals with SMI require multiple medications that come with sometimes complex dosing schedules. Adherence becomes a major concern and missed doses lead to deteriorating health.
I saw this firsthand in my dad’s life. My dad – a Vietnam war vet who battled PTSD and other chronic health issues – took many medications later in life. While I’m not a pharmacist, he and my mom would often call me to help them understand their prescriptions. I’m fortunate that I worked so closely with pharmacists that I could many times provide them the information they needed, but when I couldn’t, some of my best friends are pharmacists and were always ready to help my family.
Not everyone has lots of pharmacist friends, but many if not most have direct access to a pharmacist through community pharmacies. These folks are some of the most dedicated, caring people I know and their role in helping individuals manage their medications and conditions can help improve outcomes across healthcare.
Gaps in Coordination Between Providers & Pharmacies
National chain pharmacies can be convenient, but for individuals with complex conditions, these large retail organizations often don’t have the time to focus on the unique needs these conditions require. The pharmacy teams are often burdened with high volumes and aren’t specialized in the unique needs of individuals with serious mental illness.
These complex conditions often need medications that face insurance denials due to formulary restrictions and require prior authorization. Retail pharmacies may not have the expertise or the time to help individuals navigate these challenges. Additionally, communication between prescriber care teams and pharmacists can be disjointed – every time the care team calls the pharmacy, they have to walk through the details again because they are speaking to a different pharmacist or tech every time.
How Local Pharmacies Can Help
Personalized Support & Medication Access
Specialized pharmacies offer a level of personalized care that national chains can struggle to provide. This kind of care is nowhere more important than in behavioral health where the treatments are complex and often need extra steps to be approved by insurance. Individuals benefit from faster fulfillment times and a team focused on their specific needs. Pharmacies like Altruix offer medication synchronization and free delivery so individuals can access all their medications at the same time and reduce trips to the pharmacy. Additionally, specialized packaging these pharmacies can offer simplifies adherence pre-sorting medications based on the dosing schedule. Pharmacies with behavioral health expertise understand the urgency of medication access and work proactively to prevent disruptions.
Enhanced Patient Adherence & Outcomes
Pharmacies can also provide adherence packaging to meet a person’s specific needs. Packaging options can include Dispill which are multi-dose blister packs or strip packs which are multi-dose sealed packs based on an individual’s dosing schedule. Other adherence strategies can include refill reminders from the pharmacy and medication synchronization – filling all prescriptions at the same time to limit trips an individual needs to take to the pharmacy. Long-acting injectables (LAIs) can also play a role in adherence. Several LAIs are available for behavioral health conditions and reduce the need for daily doses. Pharmacists can support each individual with personalized education on side effects, answering questions, and helping them find ways to stay adherent to their medications.
Collaboration with Providers
Finally, pharmacists are uniquely positioned to extend care on behalf of providers. A strong pharmacy partner proactively communicates with providers, keeping them informed of issues and acting as part of the full care team. Pharmacy teams well-versed in behavioral health medications can help navigate insurance barriers to minimize delays. Pharmacists can also assist in monitoring for drug interactions, side effects, and alternative treatment options when necessary.
Real-World Impact
I want to share a story that I think highlights the real-world impact of dedicated pharmacists and how they can help change an individual’s life for the better. Andrew was a person served by one of our behavioral health provider partners. He had long struggled with keeping up with his injection appointments, often missing doses and putting his stability at risk. When Altruix pharmacist Kyle began administering injections at Andrew’s behavioral health facility, he made it a priority to build a connection with him, understanding that trust would be key to keeping Andrew engaged in his care.
Kyle’s approach worked—Andrew started staying on track with his appointments. But one day, he didn’t show up. Concerned, Kyle didn’t just wait for him to return. He walked through the facility and even searched the surrounding neighborhood. Eventually, he found Andrew sitting on a bench. Instead of immediately urging him back to the clinic, Kyle sat beside him, taking the time to talk.
After their conversation, Andrew agreed to return with Kyle to get his injection. This moment was more than just about medication adherence—it was about trust, connection, and the support needed to help individuals like Andrew regain stability in their lives.
The story of Andrew and Kyle is just one instance of the many similar stories that happen every day in specialized behavioral health pharmacies like Altruix. Local pharmacies specializing in behavioral health can make a measurable difference by improving medication access, supporting adherence, and easing provider workloads.
References
- https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness
- https://usafacts.org/articles/how-common-is-mental-illness
- https://www.aamc.org/news/growing-psychiatrist-shortage-enormous-demand-mental-health-services
- https://bhw.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/bureau-health-workforce/Behavioral-Health-Workforce-Brief-2023.pdf
