title: Australian mental health consumers and carers expect more health management information from community pharmacy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the health management information needs of Australian mental health consumers and carers and explore the role of community pharmacy in meeting those needs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interviews and focus groups were conducted with a purposive convenience sample of 74 mental health consumers and carers across three Australian states, representing metropolitan, rural and remote settings, including those with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Recruitment and interviews continued until data saturation was reached. Interviews and group discussions were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim, and data were managed using NVivo®software. A 'coding framework' or set of themes was created, and all transcripts were coded accordingly. Thematic analysis was informed by a general inductive approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants had unmet needs for information from community pharmacy. They expressed the requirement for receiving easy-to-understand, relevant medication information about mental health management from community pharmacy staff, communicated in a respectful way, with clear and comprehensive medication labelling, while respecting consumer privacy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The information needs of mental health consumers and carers remain largely unmet within Australian community pharmacy. This was particularly evident regarding the provision of information about adverse effects of medicines. The overall perceived lack of information is experienced as disempowering.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Australian community pharmacy is well placed to respond to the unmet demand for information needs of mental health consumers and carers. While many community pharmacies are embracing the principles of patient-centred care, there is an opportunity to optimise the quality of care provided to mental health consumers and carers.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Qld, Australia.|Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.|School of Pharmacy, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
authors.forename: Jasmina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fejzic
authors.affiliation: Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Knox
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Qld, Australia.|School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Hendrika Laetitia
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Hattingh
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Qld, Australia.|Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
authors.forename: Amary
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mey
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Qld, Australia.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McConnell
authors.affiliation: Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.|Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Auckland University, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Amanda J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Wheeler
mesh_terms: D022126:Access to Information; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D010594:Pharmacies / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010595:Pharmacists; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012984:Software; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Australia; community pharmacy; consumers; information needs; mental health