According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists we should be striving for ‘parity of esteem’ where mental health conditions and physical health conditions are treated equally. By looking at a person holistically you will treat physical and mental health conditions together, taking responsibility for the whole health of that person so no one develops a new health condition that slips through the gaps.

For example, this can include empowering and supporting people if their medicines are likely to cause weight gain and introducing information and advice on lifestyle, diet and exercise from the offset so that they can be empowered to make healthy choices at an early stage. Or poor dental health, such as dry mouth or through lack of self care, can exist due to side effects of medicines. People with eating disorders can be at particular risk of poor dental health as vomiting can cause enamel erosion and restrictive diets can reduce calcium levels. Pharmacy teams should therefore think about the oral health messages that can be passed on to customers.

It’s important to bear in mind that it can sometimes feel daunting if someone has a lot of changes to make, and they may doubt if these are achievable. As a healthcare professional it is therefore vital to empower people with information and support.