My Health Career would like to thanks Kay Dunkley, a pharmacist with a particular interest in the health and well-being of health professionals for providing this guest article. Kay continues to practice as a consultant pharmacist as well as coordinating peer support programs for the pharmacy profession and for the medical profession.

“As you commence your career in pharmacy you may feel a bit daunted and there will be times when you are not sure where to turn for support and advice. You may also experience stress or even wonder if you have chosen the right career. Decisions may not be clear cut or you may have an ethical dilemma. Sometimes bad things happen in the workplace. You may have difficult customers or experience bullying from others. You may be caught up in a violent incident or even a hold-up.

Pharmacists, like the general population, can experience mental health issues including depression, anxiety and suicide. You may not want to talk to your direct supervisor and be concerned that they may provide a negative report back to your intern training program provider. There is however a source of support that is free, anonymous and discreet.

The Pharmacists’ Support Service (PSS) is a telephone helpline that you can call any day of the year between 8.00 am and 11.00 pm. The service is provided by trained volunteers who are all pharmacists or retired pharmacists. The number to call is 1300 244 910. For more information and to find some useful resources which may be helpful visit the PSS website on www.supportforpharmacists.org.au.

The PSS volunteers are supported by a part-time secretariat and a consultant psychologist who assists with the supervision and training of the volunteers who take the calls. The PSS Committee of Management comprises representatives of the following organisations:

• Pharmaceutical Society of Australia.
• Pharmaceutical Defence Ltd.
• Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia.
• Professional Pharmacists Australia (formerly Pharmacists’ Division of APESMA).
• Australian Friendly Societies Pharmacies Association
• Pharmacy Guild of Australia.
• Pharmaceutical Society of Victoria Ltd.
• National Australian Pharmacy Students’ Association (NAPSA) (observer status).

PSS has been looking after pharmacists since 1995. Starting as a small Victorian service we have expanded to provide support to pharmacists, pharmacy interns and pharmacy students throughout Australia. In 2015 we are celebrating our 20 year anniversary. Over the last 20 years PSS volunteers have donated over 120,000 hours of time to the work of PSS. The work of our volunteers is invaluable. Our work is currently funded by annual donations from the listed pharmacy organisations and also by donations from individual members of the pharmacy profession and the broader pharmacy community. Donations to PSS are tax deductible. You are invited to support PSS with a donation so that we can continue to ensure that the Australian pharmacy profession has access to discrete support from a colleague. You can help us safeguard the mental health and well-being of the Australian pharmacy profession for the benefit of the Australian public.

Example case study:

Gaining respect
A young pharmacist calls the PSS and says that he is having problems at work dealing with the shop assistants and that he thinks they do not respect him. As the story unfolds this is his first year as a registered pharmacist, he is working in a large shopping centre pharmacy mostly evening and weekend shifts. He gets on well with the dispensary assistant but finds the shop assistants difficult to deal with as they do not always communicate important information or understand the role of the pharmacist. Today after counselling a customer about a script he noticed one of the shop assistants providing information about complementary medicines to that customer. When he tried to intervene the shop assistant stepped between him and the customer and said “It is OK I am just advising him about additional treatments to reduce side effects”. Later the retail manager, who has worked at the pharmacy for 10 years, came up to him and said loudly in front of other staff and customers “In future you are to stay in the dispensary and leave my staff alone. My staff have to meet their targets and don’t need you interfering.” The young pharmacist says to the PSS volunteer “I just didn’t know what to say or do and became so angry I couldn’t speak. I feel so embarrassed about this I do not want to talk about it with anyone I know.”

The PSS volunteer listens carefully and empathises with the caller, asking questions to clarify the situation. The ethics of the situation are discussed including the responsibilities of a pharmacist. They also discuss how he would have liked to handle the situation, including how he can assert himself and some techniques to control his emotions in a stressful situation. Rather than giving advice the PSS volunteer helps the caller plan his next step, which is to speak with the pharmacist in charge, including how he might present his concerns about companion sales. The caller is invited to phone PSS again after meeting with the pharmacist in charge, if he would like to. At the end of the call he says “Thank you for talking this over with me. I now feel a lot more confident about what to do next and how to handle a situation like this in future.”
NB The Pharmacy Board of Australia takes the view that non-pharmacists must not influence the practice of a pharmacist.”

More articles on My Health Career:

• Burnout in health professionals – Q&A with Dan Martin, a psychologist who has worked in rehab with doctors, pharmacists and nurses
• Upskilling online made possible by Monash University
• SHPA position statement on interdisciplinary teams
• PSA Young Pharmacist of the Year calls for an end to negativity around the profession

Image: Help – Stuart Miles – freedigitalphotos.net
Image: Contact us – Stuart Miles – freedigitalphotos.net